MADAM, From the comments made in her letter, it is clear that Susan Price is very passionate about Ross and wants to see it succeed. She is not alone.

The Association of Ross Traders (ART) has worked unstintingly since it was formed in 2009 to try and improve the aspects of the town that it can have some influence upon.

We encourage our members to keep their premises looking smart, last year we set up and rolled out over 100 watered hanging baskets with help from enviroAbility and the Garden Store thus helping the town to look more attractive during the summer months and work with Ross in Bloom (RiB) on colour themes.

This year many of our members are proudly displaying the flags RiB have provided to improve the look of the town centre.

We work with the Town Council to enhance the Christmas Lights by encouraging ART members to decorate their own premises, so far over the last two years £5000 worth of lights have been purchased by members and, we also lit the living trees in Gloucester Road, and put a huge lit Christmas Tree in front of the market house for the first time in ten years, as well as organising the very popular Christmas Shopping Festival on the first Sunday in December. Many of our member's customers praised the lights last year saying how attractive the town looked, and we hope to keep adding to this year on year.

Currently the biggest issue facing Ross is the number of empty shop premises and ART is exploring how it may bring to bear some influence on this situation. Ross is unusual in that it has far more retail premises than any of the other market towns in Herefordshire and far more than it needs given the size of the population. In the current economic circumstances, all high streets are suffering from empty premises. We hope to be able to work with the Town Council and landlords to improve this situation one way or another.

ART members work hard to do their bit for Ross and would encourage other concerned residents to roll their sleeves up and get stuck in as we can all make a difference.

Richard Mayo

Chair of ART