Dear Editor, I was very surprised to read in last week's Ross Gazette that Ross Town councillors voted by the narrowest of majorities (six to five with Councillor Colin Gray choosing to abstain) to arrange for the un-quantified cost of cutting the riverside grass. Such cutting, to be additional to that paid for by Herefordshire county council who have the legal and financial responsibility for the riverside land and grass cutting.
Simply because there is sufficient money in the budget is no reason not to be fiscally prudent. Extra grass cutting for cosmetic reasons appears to me an unnecessary use of the town's financial resources.
Councillor Mayo will need all the money that can be saved now (and more in future years) to implement his grand, but undetailed, plans to develop the open spaces of Ross over the next four years.
I therefore, pose the following open questions to Ross Town Council and Councillor Mayo, in particular, since he appears to be convinced that keeping the riverside grass short has very high priority.
1) As a county councillor how hard has Councillor Mayo pressed Herefordshire to fund the grass cutting at fortnightly - rather than monthly intervals?
2) What will be the cost to Ross of this additional grass cutting and if Herefordshire council say "Thank you very much; take over all the cutting," before asset transfer does Ross pick up the extra cost? Indeed does Ross council yet have a firm date from Herefordshire for full legal transfer?
Finally I give qualified acceptance to Councillor Bramer's quoted view that - "It's absolutely vital to tourism that the town looks nice." (And for Ross citizens.)?
However, the refuse bins in Ross town are too often overflowing with refuse creating not merely unsightly mess but, especially in warm weather, a potential health hazard (Ross does have rats). Surely bin emptying has a higher priority than grass that must not exceed a "nice" length.
Dr M Kelly, Ross-on-Wye