A council has agreed to support the search into an urgent and sustainable solution to safety on a major trunk road after villagers met with Senedd Members and councillors in Llanellen.

The motion was approved at a full Monmouthshire Council meeting last Thursday (June 25), which marked a major step forwards for the locals who had raised their concerns. It means the council will now use its convening power to work with the Welsh Government, highways officers, local communities and the South Wales Trunk Road agent to develop an evidence-based solution to safety concerns.

In The Chronicle recently, residents said they feared their children getting on the bus to school and one resident remains scared to step outside their own front door as vehicles frequently collide with their front garden.

The vote followed a public meeting at Llanellen Village Hall attended by more than 100 residents, where local people shared first-hand experiences of excessive speeds, heavy traffic, difficulty crossing the road safely and the impact the A4042 has on everyday life. County Councillor for Llanfoist and Govilon, Cllr Tomos Davies, also undertook a community survey attracting around 100 responses.

Addressing last week’s Council meeting, Cllr Davies thanked residents, community representatives and campaigners who had worked tirelessly to bring the issue to the Council's attention. He paid tribute to Sioned Yates for organising the Village Hall meeting.

"I made a commitment that evening to bring their concerns before this Council, and I am pleased to do so today,” he said.

Potential new measures could include safer pedestrian crossings, traffic-calming measures, improved enforcement, average speed cameras, clearer signage and road markings, together with a fresh examination of the longer-term challenges around Llanellen Bridge and wider pedestrian access.

Cllr Davies reminded members that residents had been raising these concerns for many years and welcomed the unanimous support from within the chamber.

"The residents of Llanellen have been making this case for years. Today is about ensuring those voices are heard, and, more importantly, acted upon,” he said opening the debate at County Hall.

"Behind every statistic is a person, a family and a community. At the Village Hall meeting we heard powerful testimony from families affected by serious collisions, from residents living with the trauma of vehicles striking their homes, and from parents concerned simply about their children crossing the road safely.”

"I am delighted that councillors from across the chamber united behind this motion. This unanimous vote sends a clear message to the people of Llanellen that their voices have been heard. For too long, residents have lived with the daily reality of speeding traffic, dangerous crossings and the fear that another serious collision is only a matter of time. They deserve better, and this vote is an important step towards achieving that.”

"The residents of Llanellen have attended meetings, completed surveys, shared deeply personal experiences and campaigned respectfully for decades. They have done everything that has been asked of them. I hope that when the people of Llanellen ask what came of all those meetings, petitions and debates, we will be able to tell them: We listened. We acted. And together, we delivered."

Councillors and Senedd Members - Peter Fox MS agreed to be the lead petitioner at the public meeting - will continue to work with the relevant agencies to ensure the momentum created by the Council's decision is translated into practical improvements that make the A4042 safer for everyone.