WHILE the dispute over the sale of the Abergavenny cattle market site rumbles on, members of the Bryngwyn Rural Community Action Group are also gearing up to defend their village against the relocation of the livestock operation.

Monmouthshire County Council purchased one of the three plots of land at High House farm in Bryngwyn as a replacement livestock market site for both Abergavenny and Monmouth.

But now the action group believes that the local authority appears more interested in funding a replacement livestock market than improving Monmouthshire schools.

Spokesman Stuart Willcock said: "In a statement released recently by Monmouthshire County Council following their £80 million for the 21st Century educational grant success, it states that funding for schools improvement will be required from the authority to match money granted by the Welsh Government.

"The statement continues to say that future capital receipts raised by the council may be used to match fund capital programmes and especially the re-provisioning of local schools.

"The statement identifies the 'Morrisons receipt', from the sale of the Abergavenny cattle market, as a capital receipt that could be used for schools improvement.

"But I question the statement's intent as it continues by saying that, 'Should the Morrisons deal fail for any reason the site would be re-marketed with a similar approach being taken to the resultant capital receipt.

"Funding to build the replacement livestock market at Bryngwyn is also referred to as being within the Council's capital programme and, as such the development is not conditional upon the Morrisons agreement'.

"This I feel is a complete change of stance on behalf of the council that previously has publicly stated that funding for the building of a replacement livestock market is entirely dependent on the sale of the existing Abergavenny site."

Mr Wilcock questioned why the council was making expenditure claims on school improvements conditional on receipts from the sale of the Abergavenny cattle market.

He added: "Monmouthshire seem to have made £5million available for the building of the livestock market at Bryngwyn.

"But based on recent history, the cattle market in Abergavenny may never be sold leading to no school improvements using the Welsh Government money. Surely this new found £5 million would be better spent on match funding schools' improvement, especially as there are several private developers interested in building a cattle market, including the latest one at Mamhilad, that would be better located for the regional farmers and provide better facilities than Bryngwyn ever could.

"The council has sought to persuade farmers that there is only one way forward and that they must stick with the current operators, Abergavenny and Newport Market Auctioneers Ltd .

"The council does not need to do business with ANMAL, but has inexplicably given them a monopoly in the area. 

"The council should bring in outside parties and get a better value new market. By making a new market a core financial commitment, it is favouring ANMAL, but not necessarily farmers or taxpayers. 

"Why should a private company be favoured in this way before our schools?"

Mr Wilcock concluded: "The Bryngwyn Rural Community Action Group urges Monmouthshire County Council to reconsider its ill-thought out plans, support local schools and enter into meaningful discussions with the private sector to build a replacement cattle market in a location suitable for the region."