Services in Monmouthshire have been affected by the overnight snowfalls, although disruption to services is patchy as snowfall has been less heavy in some parts of the county. Where possible our staff have continued to provide front line public services. Staff are working from local offices or home and essential front line social care services are being delivered with the aid of 4×4 vehicles.
The Council’s One Stop Shops remain open, as does the Council switchboard and emergency lines. County Hall is open.
We remain concerned that people keep warm and safe, so we have put a link from the front page of the council web site (www.monmouthshire.gov.uk) to Directgov advice on keeping warm and getting financial help with heating bills.
Despite the current conditions, the Council is able to maintain key front line services. We were also able to keep the public informed of service changes through out one stop shops, the media and – of course – our web site (www.monmouthshire.gov.uk), which was being updated from 5am. The web site continues to have a high level of use, with over half a million individual page views in the last week. It remains the first point of call for up to date service information.
The current position in Monmouthshire is as follows:
Gritting
Road salting has taken place around the county and primary routes are passable. Our crews are also working on clearing snow in town centres. We are confident that we have sufficient stocks of road salt, but are still awaiting new deliveries. The new snowfall has in some cases fallen on ice, so we continue to urge caution to people using rural roads.
Schools
As planned, we have been able to clear snow from around our comprehensive schools to allow pupils to take external exams. However, the comprehensives remain closed to other pupils. The decision to close a school is taken by the head teacher. At present, only Raglan Primary School is fully open. So the following schools in Monmouthshire are closed:
- Archbishop Rowan Williams
- Boverton House Pupil Referral Unit
- Caldicot School – will be open for external examinations but closed to other pupils
- Caldicot West End Infants
- Caldicot Green Lane Junior
- Cantref Primary School
- Castle Park inc Red Robbins
- Clydach Pupil Referral Unit
- Cross Ash Primary
- Deri View Primary
- Durand Primary
- Chepstow Comprehensive – will be open for external examinations but is closed to all other pupils
- Gilwern Primary
- Govilon Primary
- Goytre Fawr Primary
- King Henry V111 – Will be open for external examinations but is closed to all pupils
- Kymin View
- Llandogo Primary School
- Llanfair Kilgeddin Church in Wales School
- Llanfoist Fawr
- Llanover Primary
- Llantilio Pertholey
- Llanvihangel Crucorney Primary
- Magor Primary
- Monmouth Comprehensive – Will be open for external examinations but is closed to all other pupils
- Mounton House
- Osbaston CIW Primary
- Overmonnow Primary
- Our Lady and St Michaels RC
- Pembroke Primary School
- Rogiet Primary
- St Mary’s R C Primary
- Shirenewton Primary
- The Dell Primary School
- Thornwell Primary
- Trellech Primary School
- Undy Primary
- Usk CIW Primary
- Ysgol Y Fenni
- Ysgol Y Ffin
If there are any other schools closed the website will be updated as soon as we are notified.
Public Transport
Passenger Transport Unit (PTU) Operations
Our County Hall office will be open today with all PTU staff planning to make all reasonable attempts to make the journey to work. With a high volume of calls being received, we do appreciate your patience and will try to both answer and return all calls. Please also consider contacting us on [email protected]
Home to School Transport
Services operating by the Passenger Transport Unit have been cancelled for this morning. We will re-evaluate the situation for any services which may operate an afternoon / return. However, it is important that parents/carers are satisfied that children are able to travel to school and back home again safely if the transport is being provided independently.
The PTU has requested all operators to risk assess Home to School Transport routes for those schools that will open today. We envisage that those services which will run will be limited in places to main roads only. Parents/carers of children in areas where roads remain difficult are encouraged to meet services on a main road stop where possible. Please contact respective operators for information on their individual routes and level of services which may run.
The PTU understands that schools and pupils are preparing for examinations this week. All efforts are being made to provide transport for secondary schools for this reason, but would advise parents/carers to consider alternative transport arrangements in the event that contracted vehicles are unable to run.
Public Subsidised Services
Services Operating
Clarkes Coaches
- 3 Brynmawr – Abergavenny – Partial service, 1 Bus operation, main roads only.
The following services are not operating today:
- T Ward
- 60 Monmouth – Newport
- 65 Chepstow – Trellech – Monmouth
- Veolia Transport Cymru
- 43 Abergavenny Town Service
- 62 Caldicot – Magor – Sudbrook – Caerwent
- 73 Newport – Langstone – Chepstow
- 83 Abergavenny – Monmouth
- Chepstow Classic – Awaiting Update on the following services:
- 63 Cwmbran – Usk – Chepstow
- 69 Chepstow – Tintern – Monmouth
- W3/4/5 Monmouth Town Service
In general, operators have been asked to make risk assessments on routes with a view to maintaining a level of service during today. Circumstances may change throughout the day and so would ask that the operators are contacted directly to receive the latest updates.
This information will also be updated throughout the day on the website.
Grass Routes Services
Grass Routes services are not running today.
Social Services
Social services are working hard to provide essential services and are in touch with all individuals whose services may be affected by the weather / road conditions.
Community Meals is intending is to provide the service as normally as possible. The community meals base is on the priority list for ploughing this morning and vans have been located strategically around the county to allow us to get meals out. The Countryside service is supporting us with 4x4s and we are confident of being able to deliver to the majority of our service users. Those people who are in very hard to reach locations were provided with additional frozen meals yesterday in case we are unable to reach them today.
Residential services – Severn View and Mardy Park residential services and Budden Crescent respite facility are operating as normally. However the day services at Severn View and Mardy Park won’t be operating today.
Day services – Social Enterprises (Green Fingers, Swan Craft Studio and Office Services) are open for those able to get there but transport remains difficult. Ty’r Fenni will be reviewing the situation later this morning and is in contact with service users.
Homecare services are being provided across the county. There is inevitably some disruption but this is being well managed, with staff being deployed flexibly including using 4×4’s where necessary.
People with any concerns about their service please contact us via the One Stop Shops.
Refuse Collections
There will only be limited collections today. These will generally be in the south of the County, which has seen less snow than the north and west of the County. We hope to pick up in Caldicot and Chepstow urban areas, starting a bit later than usual. We may also manage limited collections in Monmouth urban area. There will be no collections in the Abergavenny area and the rural areas nor the rural areas around Monmouth.
We will review the situation during the day and hope to widen the area of collections for Thursday, subject to weather.
Civic Amenity sites for refuse disposal are closed.
Libraries
Libraries are open as follows:
- Abergavenny Library Open
- Caldicot Library Open
- Chepstow Library Closed
- Gilwern Library Closed
- Monmouth Library Open
- Usk Library Closed
The public is advised to contact the libraries directly to check on opening and closing times.
Leisure Centres
All our Leisure Centres are currently open, however you are advised to telephone your local leisure centre to ensure that the activity you require is running.
Adult Education
The Adult Education Service is operating restricted opening hours, subject to weather conditions.
Before setting out, all students and users are advised to ring the centre to identify whether individual classes, clubs or activities are running.
Students who attend classes at Boverton House, Chepstow, should ring Chepstow Leisure Centre for information (01291 635745)
The following adult education centre car parks are closed until further notice:
- Gilwern Community Education Centre
- Abergavenny Youth and Community Education Centre
- Overmonnow Family Learning Centre
Museums
- Abergavenny Museum Open
- Chepstow Museum Open
- Monmouth Museum Open
Outlook
The latest weather forecast is:
On the whole, further snowfall today will be very light with heavier bursts possible but expected to be localised and short lived.
The forecast indicates drier conditions will continue to move into southern areas of Wales through this morning and slowly extend northwards through the afternoon, although it may well be the evening before the snow finally dies out across North Wales. Hence, there is the scope for accumulations of several more centimetres of snow today, through persistence rather than intensity, particularly for parts of Mid and North Wales.
A mainly dry but cold night will follow.
We will continue to plan to deliver front line service provision to the best of our ability.
Paul Matthews, Monmouthshire County Council’s Chief Executive, has again praised the dedication of staff in providing services during the last four weeks of wintry weather. He said:
“We are continuing to work hard to ensure that we deliver key services to local people. I am pleased that we have managed to open our comprehensive schools to pupils taking their examinations, that our main roads remain open and that we are doing our best to ensure that every vulnerable person in the county remains safe and well supported.”
