Calls for Monmouthshire County Council to block payday lending sites within council buildings have received a lot of support, but also produced worries that these measures are not enough to help those in need of financial help.

The Labour group in Monmouthshire has proposed that the council follows the example of councils like Yorkshire and blocks the websites for payday lenders in buildings like libraries, in order to help reduce the number of people using them.

Councillor Dinitri Batrouni said, "We're going to ask for council networks and council computers to block the websites of payday lenders, so we can make a statement that these firms don't offer the best way out for people in financial trouble."

However, some feel that, despite the good efforts, it is not the right way to go about reducing the number of people who fall into these traps.

Clive Marshall, the Owner of Money Matters West said, "I think it's a great thing that Monmouthshire and other councils are trying to stop people getting involved with payday loans, and we are fully in support of it, but it can only be just a start.

"They need to go in deeper than just the headlines, and give people alternatives to finding money when people get into dire straits. It's great that they are stopping access to these websites in their buildings, but they need to make people aware of alternatives and put effort into helping people find other ways of finding money in emergency situations."

The council is yet to comment on the proposal, awaiting a full motion to be put forward, but has expressed that it does support alternatives to payday loans.

A spokesman for MCC said, "It would be inappropriate to comment on a motion to council prior to it being published, let alone discussed. But it is reasonable to remind people that MCC supports alternatives to payday lenders.

"We are a full corporate member of Gateway Credit Union and have deposited the maximum amount possible - £15,000 - with them."

"Also a future meeting of full council will consider the authority's response to the Welsh Government's recently published anti-poverty action plan."

But representatives of the more responsible pay day lenders are concerned that this block will not only be detrimental to the mass market of irresponsible lenders, but also those who provide responsible credit.

Russell Hamblin-Boone, Chief Executive of the Consumer Finance Association which represents some of the largest and most responsible payday lenders in the UK said, "Monmouthshire Council is clearly entitled to take any action it deems necessary and we would support any initiatives that drive out irresponsible lenders.

"However, we would be concerned that, without evidence of its impact, this action prevented people in South Wales having access to responsible credit providers.

"Responsible lenders explain the costs up front in pounds and pence; use credit reference agencies to check your details and will not lend to you if they think it will make your financial situation worse."

A representative from Wizzcash said, "I do agree that payday loans are not a suitable solution for anyone in financial trouble, but we run a programme of responsible lending, to make sure that people can afford to pay it back. We actually turn down 80 per cent of our applications on this basis.

"We can't deny that it is more expensive than standard loans, but to those who have the means to afford the loan it is a valuable service."

He also expressed concern over the blocking of any information, and that people should have the right to information when they require it.

He said, "I think that blocking information from anyone is a dangerous thing, and it should be up to individuals to choose whether they want to use services like this. It's not even really about the content, it is about the principle of the freedom of information.

"If you start blocking these sites and this information, then where does it stop?"

But despite these concerns the Labour group hopes to get things underway as quickly as possible and to get a cross-party concensus.

Councillor Batrouni said, "Considering that the ruling group has such support of the Credit Union, I do not think it will be opposed to this action."