New tenant for Market Hall?

A former market hall building that has been vacant since it was used as a night shelter is set to be let out. 

Monmouthshire County Council had confirmed a rental agreement is in place for the Market Hall building in Monmouth and a change of use planning application is due to be submitted. 

The information was revealed at the council’s cabinet meeting when councillors were updated on a petition that called for the town’s night shelter to be reinstated. 

The petition was submitted by the Churches in Monmouth housing group that previously ran a winter night shelter and in 2020 the council made the Market Hall building available to it. Since then however the Welsh Government has said temporary accommodation should be of a high standard and ideally self contained. 

Its advice to councils is use of floor space for homeless people isn’t acceptable and it is set to change the law to rule out the use of shared sleeping space. 

The petition was considered by the full council in September when the cabinet member responsible for housing, Paul Griffiths, described the Market Hall as unsuitable for homeless accommodation but the council was willing to work with Churches in Monmouth to address homelessness. 

At the cabinet meeting Labour’s Cllr Griffiths said: “There is a gap in the provision of temporary accommodation and what we have tends to be focused on Chepstow and there have been cases of homeless people, from Monmouth, offered temporary accommodation in Chepstow.” 

Cllr Griffiths said he hoped the group could help the council identify suitable temporary accommodation in Monmouth and volunteers could be a part of partneship with the council and third sector bodies to support the homeless. 

Council leader Mary Ann Brockelsby and Cllr Griffiths also set to meet, in person, with the group and he acknowledged the support of Conservative councillor for Shirenewton, Louise Brown, for the church group. 

Tory opposition leader Richard John said his group is “very happy to help in whatever way we can”. He also asked for further details about the letting for the Market Hall. 

Cllr Griffiths said the agreement has been in place since June this year and the tenants have been using the site and preparing for full time occupancy.