Almost 100 residents crammed into a village hall just outside Abergavenny on Monday evening to discuss their concerns about safety on a stretch of a major road that passes their front doors.

The meeting at Llanellen Village Hall, organised by Sioned Yates, was also attended by Senedd Members and county councillors from across the political spectrum including Labour’s Lynne Neagle MS, Plaid Cymru’s Matthew Jones MS and Donna Cushing MS and Peter Fox MS from the Conservatives.

They heard about concerns from locals that the lack of safety measures on the A4042 through their village is worrying villagers of all ages.

County Councillors Tomos Davies and Ben Callard also answered questions from concerned residents.

One resident told the room that she felt ‘frightened’ to enter her front garden now. The wall at the front of her house, just before Llanellen Bridge, has been struck down by vehicles four times over the last two years.

“You hear a bang, and it is frightening,” she said describing how the incidents have unfolded.

“That wall must have stood for at least 20 years before the last two years where these incidents are becoming more frequent. Walking out to the front of my house to see my front wall underneath a car again is very upsetting.”

At this point, a neighbour raised the point that the situation will eventually result in a much more serious accident.

“One of the hardest things to see was that at the same time the day before [the most recent incident] you had been standing in your front garden,” they said.

“This is a much more serious accident waiting to happen.”

Others also said it was not safe for children to cross the road to catch the bus to school and highlighted the personal impact on locals. One woman, who was involved in an incident while walking her dog on the road, has still not returned to work 18 months on.

Maintenance of the A4042 is the responsibility of the Welsh Government due to its classification as a trunk road. They did not send any officers - who can advise on what possibilities are feasible for safety solution - to the meeting.

Potential remedies were relayed to the local representatives present which could be explored. Many highlighted the lack of existing enforcement for traffic in the area, including the nonexistence of a speed camera in the 40mph area approaching Llanellen Bridge.

The bridge itself was built 205 years ago and the structure has not been changed since, other than modifications to the pontoons. Suspicions were also raised that the 7.5 tonne weight limit is being ignored by HGV drivers and.

Cllr Ben Callard made comparisons to Gilwern Viaduct, which is now operating a single-file traffic management system due to the poor state of the structure of the bridge. The Councillor for Llanfoist and Govilon shared residents’ concerns on this matter.

Villagers were also keen to stress that safety concerns in the village are not a fresh issue and some felt as though their worries had been previously ignored.

In the 1980s, plans were drawn up for a road bypassing the village to be built. However, these never materialised. One community councillor confirmed they had raised concerns with local representatives when Neil Kinnock was still in front line politics.

Last year, Cllr Tomos Davies has secured a commitment from the responsible Cabinet Member for a review of traffic calming measures on Gypsy Lane to begin in 2026. He disclosed during the meeting that to his knowledge, that had not taken place.

“Residents in Llanellen have raised these concerns consistently for years and they deserve more than warm words and delayed promises,” he said.

“I have repeatedly pressed the authorities for meaningful action because local people are genuinely worried about the risks posed by excessive traffic speeds through the village.”

“Recent collisions along the A4042 only reinforce the urgency of the situation. Residents are understandably asking how many more incidents need to happen before meaningful action is finally taken.”

Police officers at the meeting confirmed that a speed limit enforcement site on that road had recently been suspended.

Peter Fox MS will act as the Senedd ‘lead’ for making representations to potentially start a petition and bring the issue before a committee, but there did appear to be cross-party support for a lasting solution.

“As a community, we recognise that meaningful change takes time and must be supported by evidence, data and collaboration,” said Sioned Yates.

“What encouraged me most was the shared commitment in the room to work together towards understanding the issues fully and identifying appropriate solutions.”