Church Street, Monmouth - Historic Old Town

20/09/2026

The new lick of paint on the hoarding definitely improves the look of the Nationwide UK scaffolding, ideas suggested by the traders and residents of Church Street, if only it had been done sooner way before the summer period was over!

​That being said, we were previously told this scaffolding would be coming down at the end of September. Which leaves us with a pretty obvious question, why spend the time and effort painting it if it’s supposedly coming down next week?

​We are already way past the initial 9-week timeframe we were told this whole job would take back in February!! , and it’s glaringly obvious it’s going to be up for even longer. On and on it goes...

​What are your thoughts? Has anyone heard any fresh updates from the council or contractors?

11/09/2026

🤭🤭🤭

31/08/2026

https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/26503812.monmouths-church-street-must-visit-destination/?ref=cprfa

A little write up from the Argus .

Church Street in Monmouth is brimming with character and community spirit - and if it's not on your to-visit-list yet, it should be.

26/08/2026

Look at what the Church Street community actually asked for versus what Nationwide UK is delivering.

​The community presented Nationwide with a professional design mockup ( in meetings held a while back with the Council ) , a branded wrap supporting local Church Street businesses, clear directional signage, and a local directory map to minimise disruption during restoration... all this was due to Nationwide providing the offer of substation funding for signage to assist in anyway they could.

​Here is how Nationwide responded:-

First: Offered signage.

Then: Backtracked, claiming almost all signage was "out of their remit."

Promised: The scaffolding would be taken down by the end of September.

Now: Sending an update to the Town Council offering to just paint the bare chipboard dark blue, paint the tunnel white, and leave the structure up indefinitely.

​Instead of adopting a professional design that actually actively supports independent traders, Nationwide is opting for a cheap, lazy paint job. Slapping dark blue paint over rough chipboard is a slap in the face to Monmouth businesses suffering behind this eyesore. Baring in mind this could have all been done properly months and months ago. Not once summer is practically over.

Nationwide would also like everyone to know this " I hope this demonstrates the steps we are taking to address the concerns that have been raised and how we are committed to working with the local community "

We see absolutley nobody working on this building, week after week.

You don't paint temporary scaffolding unless you plan on leaving it there indefinitely, Again, this is all now a bit " too little, too late "

Monmouth traders and residents deserve real support, not as always a half-hearted gloss-over!

17/08/2026

Church street update -

Another endless list of "we’ll look into it" and "out of our remit."

​Here is the reality of where things stand with Nationwide and the Town Council after our latest update: -

Regarding the so say signage / Promotion funding offered by Nationwide.

• ​Scaffolding & Hoarding: Nationwide won't commit to wrapping their ugly chipboard hoarding, though they might reconsider. They’re "looking into" fixing the dark cashpoint tunnel, but no promises.

• ​Wayfinding & Signage: Nationwide outright rejected helping with town wayfinding (passed off to a council committee to walk around and audit until 2027). The only thing they might pay to print is a single A-board, provided local traders clear away their own signs first.

• ​Website Refresh : ( it was asked that the website proivded as part of the church street regeneration ( now stagnant website) , be updated/ adapted to fit with nationwide offer of funding for signage and promotion ) Nationwide refused this too. The Town Council is taking it back to committee to see if any funding even exists.

• ​Street "Relaunch": They want to piggyback a relaunch onto an existing Halloween market on October 31st using leaflets..😑......

Summer has almost passed.. we've all lost what is supposed to be our busiest period.. and this is where we are.

​Every single trader on Church Street feels severely let down.

We are given zero actual support, empty promises, and pushed into endless council red tape while our street suffers.

Despite what people like to say, that they have helped, they have done this, done that etc... The bottom line is, they have done absolutely nothing!
All we keep being told is that the town council have no say, no power. They certainly could try and fight a bit harder for us all!

The feeling from us all is that there is absolutely no point anymore....

15/08/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Exzek2Jtz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

07/08/2026

Update - The owner has confirmed they are footing the bill . This does not explain why the scaffolding employee told a respected business person they were billing the council , and why they would even say that .
There is still the question of why there is no licence displayed ?
There are more questions than answers regarding number 10.

05/08/2026

Church Street Scaffolding & Signage Update -

​Weeks have passed since our meeting, and we are back to silence, zero updates, zero communication.

​Here is where things currently stand:

• ​Signage Still Missing:
Despite assurances, the signage organised by the Town Council and funded by Nationwide has yet to materialise. With summer trade slipping away, local businesses continue to suffer.

• ​No. 10 Scaffolding (Greengrocers):
The scaffolding crew on-site this morning directly informed local residents and traders that the scaffolding company is billing the Council for No.10 scaffolding, rather than the building's owner as we have been previously told.

• ​Transparency Blocked: On top of allegedly footing the bill, the Council has placed a Section 30 exemption on this building, effectively blocking Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and hiding the details from the public... traders and residents are wondering why this would happen if there was nothing to hide?

​Why is public money allegedly being used for scaffolding on a private building while the council actively blocks FOI requests and ignores the community for weeks on end? Traders and residents deserve clear transparency, the truth and answers now.

(Post created from extensive evidence, information and feedback directly gathered from local traders, workmen and residents)

20/07/2026

Church Street Meeting Update.

​A big thank you to everyone who joined us for the Church Street meeting today!

We were missing a few faces we had expected to see in which they seemed to confirm attendance at the last meeting , but we appreciate everyone who made the time to attend.

​It was a really positive discussion, and we’re looking forward to moving forward. Here are the quick highlights from today,

​Scaffolding: No major new updates here, everything remains as previously communicated for now.

​Overhead Lighting: The lights are officially fixed, Just a few final adjustments left to make before they are switched on.

​Nationwide Funded Signage: We’ve made fantastic progress on the planning stages for this.. hopefully this will help some.

​Community Feedback: This week, we’ll be teaming up with the Town Council to speak with as many traders and residents as possible. We want to share what we’ve collectively come up with and, most importantly, get your feedback.

​Our ultimate goal is to get everyone on the same page so we can benefit Church Street, White Swan court and surrounding affected areas as best as we possibly can.

Moving forward, the plan is simple: work closer together and communicate better.

​Keep an eye out for us this week—we look forward to chatting with you!

17/07/2026

Hi everyone,

​As promised, we want to make sure everyone on the street is kept in the loop. We’ve received an update regarding the ongoing works, scaffolding, and lighting from MCC and the Town Council.

​Here is exactly where things stand right now:

​Building Works & Scaffolding -
​2 Church Street: The scaffolding license actually lapsed on June 30. The owner has requested an extension until July 31. The council is apparently trying to get a clear, full timeline of the works from the owner to make sure it matches that extension. If the owner doesn't provide clarity, the council is looking into their legal options to escalate the situation. ( owner the same as the Barton alley that was closed for 3 years )

​4 Church Street - Nationwide: Works are ongoing here. The scaffolding license is currently valid until September 6.

​10 Church Street: Works are also ongoing, with the scaffolding license valid until August 8 - an extremely long process.

​Lighting & Street Clean
​Street Lamps: MCC officers inspected the street and confirmed that all standard street lamps are fully working.

​Overhead Feature Lighting: As you know, these are currently dead. This happened because the power supply was removed by the owner of 1 Church Street, and parts were disconnected due to the works at number 4. Council are apparently working on a new power supply and have suggested a temporary fix to get the overhead lights back on while the work at number 4 continues.

​Weeding & Cleaning:
The next scheduled MCC street cleaning and weeding is set for today (July 17)? 🤔

​Business Promotion & Signage -
​Nationwide Signage Offer: Nationwide has offered to fund and provide extra signage in Church Street (and potentially around the wider town centre) to help direct foot traffic and visitors down our way.

​Meeting on July 20: There is a meeting coming up this Monday, for church street residents and traders, where this additional signage will be discussed... along with our other concerns.

Just to clarify a point from the council's notes : They mentioned businesses couldn't make the previous council meeting, but we want to emphasise that it was a general council meeting, not a dedicated signage meeting. Most of us simply couldn't attend due to prior, unavoidable business commitments—especially since so many of us are working extra hours and taking on second jobs to compensate for the massive hit to our trade.

​We will keep pushing for answers, especially regarding the timelines for numbers 2 and 4, and 10. We will share more info as soon as we get it but again...