Some of Monmouthshire’s towns are about to get SMART, a new digital infrastructure, supported by Welsh Government, which is being installed by Monmouthshire County Council in Abergavenny, Caldicot, Chepstow, Monmouth and Usk over the coming months. This technology will allow a town to collect data about itself and enable town centre stakeholders to make better businesses decisions based on this data.

SMART towns adopt the same technology and data that national brands have been using for decades to enable small businesses and town centres to compete on an equal footing. This means that town centres and individual businesses actively connect with locals and visitors with the information they want about the town, including any events or promotions in the town centre. When people visit a smart town centre they will have a smoother experience, where they are presented with relevant information through digital signage, town apps and have access to more data and technology through smart benches and other smart street furniture. 

Councillor Sara Jones, Monmouthshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy said: “This exciting project, working with Welsh Government and others, is one of many ways we are looking to develop our high streets. By making use of this SMART technology and gathering useful data, we can be even better informed when making future plans, which is key to helping our town centre thrive and develop.”

To advise people on the types of technology being installed and how it can help, Owen Davies Consulting has been engaged by Monmouthshire County Council to talk with businesses and communities in Chepstow, Caldicot, Monmouth and Usk. Owen Davies Consulting is already piloting this approach in Abergavenny and will be extending this work into the other county towns. 

Owen Davies from Owen Davies Consulting said: “We are delighted to be working across all the towns in Monmouthshire. As a business based in Abergavenny, we can see the benefits in having access to digital data to help our business planning and want to share our experience on digital technology and regeneration to work with businesses and other town stakeholders so we can embrace the digital agenda.”