COUPLES planning to wed in Chepstow will no longer be able to tie the knot in the town's registry office following a decision by Monmouthshire Council to close the building.

The High Trees building will not be taking bookings for weddings after March 31 when the building will close as part of the council's strategic accommodation review.

The decision comes as the Drill Hall Ð the only other building in the town to hold a wedding licence - is faced with an increased fee to renew its licence in April. MCC has told the Drill Hall committee it must pay £1,200 for a three-year licence if it wishes to continue to host weddings.

Drill Hall committee secretary, Cllr Marian Lewis said: "As we only host about two or three weddings a year we'll have do decide whether or not it's worth paying for the licence.

"It's a real shame because with the registry office closing and the possibility of the Drill Hall no longer accommodating weddings, this would mean there is nowhere in Chepstow to have a low-cost wedding or a non-church wedding."

Following the closure of High Trees, the registering of births and deaths will be provided for at Chepstow's One Shop Shop.