Labour MP sets out to fill empty shops on Welsh town’s dying high street

Amelia Jones

A local MP has started a campaign to fill up empty shops on a flood-torn high street in a Welsh town.

Persistent heavy rain saw businesses in Monmouth left underwater after the river Monnow burst its banks overnight back in November 2025.

While some larger stores have managed to reopen, many shops within the town have yet to open, some dealing with structural and financing issues.

This has left the high street littered with empty and boarded up shops.

In response, a Labour MP Catherine Fookes, who has been a Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire since 2024, has posted a video on how she sets out to tackle the problem.

The video comes just months after popular high street bakery Greggs revealed they would not be returning to the town centre.

Some of the other shops that have remained closed include: Artisan Bakery Alex Gooch, All Our Yesterdays Antiques Collectible and Curious, and Adrian Gaunt & Co County Jewellers.

In the video, she said: “I know high streets are incredibly important to all of us across Monmouthshire, but there’s one big problem. So many empty shops and empty units that need filling. So I’m starting a campaign to get our empty units across Monmouthshire filled up again.

“And this one is where I’m starting, which is 20 Mono Street, or as some of you may know it, and I certainly call it the pigeon poop building because for many years, pigeons have been flying in and out of this building.

“Recently, the building has become unsafe. There was glass falling out, so the owners have now put up this wood, which obviously is a step forward, but honestly, it’s incredibly unsightly.

“You’ve got plants growing out of the building.  So I’ve written to the owner saying, it’s really time to act on this. It’s been around 15 years that this building has looked like this, and we really need you to give us a timeline of when the planning permission will be submitted and when you’ll get this building back into use.

“Of course, change does take time, but gradually we’re going to write to various different owners of buildings and work with the council, and if we don’t get the answers we need, we’ll take it further a notch. But I’ll keep going around Monmouthshire doing this campaign, and of course, I’ll keep you updated as to what progress we make.”

In response, many commenters raised concerns about the business rates. With one commenting: “Business rates have killed small high streets like Monmouth.”

Another said: “If people paid less tax they would have more money to spend and be able to support local shops.

“More local shops would be attracted to towns if their taxes were lower giving shoppers a wider choice.”

In response to the second comment, Fookes said: “…This particular unit is not even in a position for a business to move into it, it’s been neglected by the owner.”

You can watch the full video here.