A WELSH Government minister is being urged to visit Chepstow to see for himself the potential traffic problems that could be caused if proposed changes to a notorious pinch point go ahead.

There is opposition to an idea put forward by Welsh Government engineers to replace the Nelson Street car park with a roundabout to ‘help’ traffic flows if a 450-home development on the former Fairfield Mabey site goes ahead.

The proposal, which aims to improve the junction between Station Road and the A48, would also mean the flow of traffic on Nelson Street would be reversed with vehicles travelling down towards St Mary’s Church.

But the proposal caused concern among the 30 people who attended a public meeting called by town councillor Marc le Peltier at the Gate House last Friday (February 10).

While most agreed the town needed new housing, the majority view was that it should not be on the Fairfield Mabey site which is accessed along Station Road.

Mr Guy Hamilton, of lower Chepstow, said: “If the road is blocked by the church there is no way out of lower Chepstow.

“The proposal to change the flow to come down Nelson Street will inevitably make things far worse even without any increase in traffic.

“The likelihood of lower Chepstow being gridlocked is greatly increased.”

Nick Ramsay, the Conservative Assembly Member for Monmouth, said he would ask for the plan to be looked at again.

He said: “We are agreed that we are not happy with the proposal to effectively turn the car park into a roundabout.

“That is not acceptable, so I will say to the Welsh Government to look at it again with alternatives we can look at.

“All I can do is ask the Welsh Government to look at it again and to ask the minister, Ken Skates, to have a site meeting here.”

There was also concern about the impact in Chepstow of traffic generated by housing developments in the Forest.

Tidenham parish councillor Nick Evans said campaigners against a development in Tutshill had tried to argue about the impact on Chepstow’s roads but were told that could not be taken into account.

He said: “It’s not just Chepstow, it happens all along the border – we need a taskforce to provide a solution or it will keep on happening.”

The most enthusiastic supporter of the plan to develop the Fairfield Mabey site was Christopher Wilson of Beachley.

He said: “We acknowledge we need more housing – very few towns have a brownfield, riverside location right next to the town centre.

“Our town has the opportunity to develop a beautiful riverside location which will add considerably to the town. To have new housing with young families close to the centre of town will be a great asset.

“We should grasp it as an opportunity. Infrastructure is vital, traffic is fundamental.

“It is not beyond the wit of man to come up with a scheme that accommodates both.”