The Velothon Wales cycle race will return to Monmouthshire in May next year - but with some key changes designed to minimise its impact on those living and working along the route.

County councillors overwhelmingly backed the plan at their monthly meeting last week following assurances that this time there would be better communication with businesses and local communities and amendments to the course the riders take and the length of time roads are closed.

The new course will not be unveiled to the public until early next year but it’s expected to avoid some of the areas where much of the controversy was centred last June.

It’s the UK’s second largest sportive, catering for around 18,000 riders. Thousands have already pre-registered, with general entries going on sale from 9am on Monday (November 30).

This year’s event started and finished in Cardiff and took cyclists through Newport, Caerleon, Usk, Blaenavon, Pontypool and Ystrad Mynach, as well as gruelling ascents of The Tumble mountain near Abergavenny and Caerphilly Mountain.

There was bitter controversy about the lack of public consultation and the effect of lengthy road closures on businesses and local residents.

Some pointed to the fact that the road closures in Monmouthshire began at 8am, when the race didn’t even leave Cardiff until 9am!

There were also complaints from carers that they couldn’t make routine home visits, from vets that they wouldn’t be able to respond to emergency calls and from farmers that the road closures affected daily activities such as milking cows and feeding stock.

The race was disrupted at several points when tacks were thrown on the road.

Monmouthshire councillors, meeting in September, refused to agree to the race passing through Monmouthshire again until the main problems were addressed.

Councillor Bob Greenland, cabinet member with responsibility for Innovation and Enterprise, described last June’s event as ‘a total shambles’ but acknowledged that the Welsh Government had ‘held their hands up and said they would put it right next year’ – undertaking a review which put forward 24 recommendations.

With Run4Wales now appointed as ‘local delivery agents’, intensive planning work has been underway – with the promise of much earlier and wider engagement with residents and businesses affected, enabling everyone to plan ahead more effectively.

Councillors were invited to raise their concerns with Run4Wales and sports and entertainment agency Lagadere at a recent seminar at County Hall.

Councillor John Prosser, who attended the seminar, said the organisers were open to all questions and he was encouraged by what they had to say.

“They certainly convinced me that they would communicate with local town and community councils etc,” he said.

He said it was inevitable that MCC would incur some costs connected with road closures but this would be contained within existing budgets.

Councillor Val Smith, who voted against the race returning to the county next year, said it was important that a clear map of the amended route was posted on MCC’s website as soon as possible so that the public could see if they were going to be affected.

Councillor Bryan Jones, who represents Goytre Fawr, said he couldn’t support the race returning to Monmouthshire.

“I think it is detrimental to local businesses and I must represent my constituents rather than this council,” he said.

He added, “If you have to go out to work all week and you’re then told you can’t take the family out for lunch at the weekend because of road closures that’s totally unacceptable. It’s also a real problem for people like farmers who need to be able to use the roads to reach their stock.”

He cited the case last June of the carers who, when they asked the race organisers how they were going to be able to visit an elderly person in Goytre that day, were told to park in Abergavenny and walk - a distance of around seven miles!

MCC’s Head of Community Delivery, Debra Hill-Howells said Run4Wales was a social enterprise which had learnt from its experience of other high profile events like the Cardiff Half Marathon.

“They know how important it is to consult fully with everyone affected by an event. They will speak to all community and town councils regarding the road closures, reduce the length of those closures, consider local events such as weddings that might be taking place on the day and pick a route that minimises the impact on residents and businesses,” she said.

And all this would be done much earlier than in 2015.

“We will put information on our website as soon as it goes public and use our community hubs to make sure people are fully aware of what is going on.

She said suggestions had been made that businesses would gain if the race either started or finished in the county - but that was not an option in 2016. 

Councillor Greenland said the velothon was an opportunity to ‘sell’ Monmouthshire.

He suggested there were ways businesses could capitalise on the event - looking at not just the day itself but the weeks before when cyclists from across the UK came here to practise. 

Having accepted Run4Wales’ assurances that the route will be amended, road closures will not be continuous and there will be far greater consultation leading up to the event the council overwhelmingly supported the motion, with four councillors opposing the motion.

Some local residents who bitterly resented the way the event was organised last June have greeted the decision with mixed feelings.

Anna Jones, manager of Usk Garden Centre, which lost £10,000 in trading by having to close its doors on the busiest day of the week, said she was ‘jumping for joy’ and hugged her local councillor when she heard the race next year was going to be re-routed.

“We’re a small family business and we’re struggling at the best of times. We can do without this kind of setback. It was so badly organised it was a joke.

“Whatever route it takes, though, someone’s going to suffer.

“Businesses in Cardiff may benefit from it and I know it promotes sport in Wales but people in this area providing hospitality in pubs, restaurants and B+Bs see no benefit whatsoever. We run a B+B ourselves and had no extra bookings.

“Someone’s lining their pockets to the tune of about £1m from the entry fees – but it’s certainly not boosting the local economy.”

International fashion designers Charles and Patricia Lester were furious about the road closures in June, finding themselves trapped at home in Llanfoist when they needed to get to a major charity event in Usk. 

They say they only heard about the planned road closures by word of mouth.

“In London, when they close the marathon route, you can still get around on alternative streets but in rural areas like this you’re completely stuck,” said Charles.

“If the roads next May are only closed for a couple of hours at a time and we’re given proper warning I can live with that.

“But I still think it’s wrong to inconvenience local residents in this way and I’ve yet to hear of ANY local business that benefits from the Velothon passing through!”

Richard Lewis, treasurer of Abergavenny Cycling Group, who runs the Middle Ninfa campsite and bunkhouse at Llanellen was also concerned that he only heard about the road closures a week before the event ‘on the grapevine’ and his weekend guests were unable to leave until much later in the day than normal.

“The situation last June was absurd. There are three different exits out of here but ALL of them were closed all morning. If we could have just used one that would have been fine!

“I’m happy if the roads are only closed for a couple of hours and the organisers communicate better with local people. But I see no value whatever in this event for local businesses.”

A spokesman for MCC said the purpose of the seminar at County Hall was to introduce members to Run4Wales, provide them with an update on the new arrangements and advise them of the amended route for Monmouthshire.

“Run4Wales has committed to improving the organisational and governance arrangements for the 2016 event and developing effective communication with communities, businesses and town and community councils,” he said.

“The 2016 Velothon will provide us with the opportunity to showcase the county to the riders participating in the event as well as those following the event on social media and television broadcasts.”