The County Council is advertising for a full-time position described as ‘an exciting role to join MonLife and contribute to shaping the Active Travel agenda right across Monmouthshire. This role will play a key part it coordinating projects and areas of work across a number of services to deliver outcomes aligned with our strategic focus for Active Travel’ – Project Support Officer – Active Travel – Monmouthshire.  The post supports the Active Travel Officer and the closing date is 30 April.

MonLife is part of Monmouthshire County Council and delivers leisure, youth and outdoor education, green infrastructure and countryside access, play, learning, destination management, arts, museums and attractions.

Brecon Beacons National Park Authority has announced that they have appointed Catherine Mealing-Jones as their new Chief Executive Officer, Catherine will take up the post in July 2021.Catherine is currently Director of Growth at the UK Space Agency where she has been leading strategy, policy and programmes to drive economic growth in the space sector and the wider economy, bringing space into local economic development strategies, and driving innovative new uses of space technology, data and applications.

After years of campaigning and preparation a pedestrian and cycle path on a disused railway line in the Wye Valley has now opened.  The Wye Valley Greenway project aims to repurpose the long-since defunct railway line between Chepstow and Monmouth.  Part of the line – now open to the public – passes through a 1km tunnel near the National Diving and Activity Centre (NDAC) just outside Chepstow.

The tunnel was surveyed for 18 months before being opened to the public, as the area is important for lesser horseshoe bats.  Low level lighting has been installed which, although disorienting at first, gives the tunnel atmosphere as well as protecting the bats.  To protect the bats the tunnel section is closed off at night with large gates.

However, concerns have already been expressed about the safety of mixing walkers and cyclists in the narrow low-lit tunnel where no cycle lights or torches are allowed.