A CONTROVERSIAL 18-month temporary closure of a shortcut for drivers has been made permanent.

Despite MCC’s Scrutiny Committee saying other options, and alternatives, to improving pedestrian safety on Goldwire Lane should be looked at, Councillor Catrin Maby, the cabinet member responsible and the Labour member for the town’s Drybridge ward, said elderly residents feared walking, or using mobility scooters, on the narrow one-way part of the lane and took the decision last week to make the restriction to ‘access only’, permanent.

Goldwire Lane functioned as a one-way route connecting Somerset Road with Drybridge Street and for decades, it served residents of the Goldwire estate and beyond as a convenient exit into town, while also acting as an access to town for motorists, especially during periods of flooding on nearby Wonastow Road, when alternative routes were limited.

In 2024, Monmouthshire County Council introduced the trial closure to motor vehicles as part of a wider push to align with Welsh Government “Active Travel” policies, which aim to reduce car dependency and promote walking and cycling.

The council argued that the lane’s narrow layout and limited pedestrian infrastructure made it unsafe for non-drivers, and that restricting vehicle access would improve safety and encourage more sustainable transport choices.

However, the reaction from some local residents centred around concern of the loss of what many considered a vital secondary access route.

With the temporary closure in place, some claimed the Goldwire estate was effectively left with a single main exit of Somerset Road, raising fears about access and egress during emergencies such as fires, medical incidents, or flooding.

But supporters of the scheme, including some residents and council officials, maintained that the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. They argued that safer, quieter streets would improve quality of life, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists.

Their petition, which began on Easter Monday, had already gathered 300 signatures by last weekend.

Campaigners backing restricted vehicles told the Beacon that pedestrians with ‘walkers’ or those on mobility scooters cannot use the narrow pavement at the far end as it’s too narrow.

“I hadn’t heard there was a consultation so I asked a few other neighbours and they weren't aware either” said Rosie Clarke who, with other neighbours, began a counter petition to back the restriction to through traffic.

“We collected 80 signatures on Easter Monday and hit 300 in less than two weeks,” she added.

“Everybody walks or cycles down Goldwire Lane from the houses across the 15th century bridge - from Elstob Way and Carbonne - as it’s a direct route into town over the Monnow Bridge.”

Another resident joined us and said they felt it was dangerous if it was allowed to reopen to through traffic.

Rosie Clarke said that the consultation had been going on for three months, but she had been flooded and had to move out of her house “so no-one has been focussing on the consultation because we were all pre-occupied with flooding”.

A spokesman for MCC said: “The Council has considered all of the views from residents and the feedback from Place Scrutiny Committee. The intent of the Traffic Regulation Order is to support those who wish to walk, cycle or use mobility scooters to travel safely along this narrow road, which is in line with Welsh Governments transport strategy.

“We recognise that the decision will create inconvenience to vehicle users, however it will ensure the safety of more vulnerable highway users.”