Dear Editor,

Seeing the pictures of the opening of the Larruperz Centre in last week’s Ross Gazette reminded me of the work everyone put in to getting this great facility for Ross. I was the original Town Councillor on the committee which purchased the Larruperz, just one of the many Ross issues I have dealt with during my nearly 40 years as a Town Councillor.

More recently I have held several meetings with residents of Kent Avenue to discuss the problems they face with traffic flows, and over the past couple of weeks I have been trying to find a solution to the large vehicles using Alton Street or Kent Avenue.

I have met with the Balfour Beatty locality steward to look at signage. There is a 7.5 tonne weight restriction on entering Ross, accept for access.

I have also been trying to find a solution to the Lidl planning application and looking at parking issues in Gloucester Road and other areas.

Planning site visits take place throughout the county and in the past two weeks have involved travelling 75 miles. I have also chaired the Planning Committee at the Shire Hall, an all day meeting.

I also chaired a licensing sub-committee meeting involving illegal workers at a restaurant in the Leominster area. More enjoyable was presenting the farming awards for the AONB at the Monmouth Show - won by a farming family who live and work near Ross. I could go on but I have to sort out my Council emails before bed.

I have no problems doing all of these things as part of my duties as a Town and County Councillor and I am always happy to discuss any local issues at my roving mobile surgery in Ross when I am doing my shopping.

Phil Cutter

Chairman of Herefordshire

Planning Committee and the AONB JAC

PS - My fellow Ross Town and County Councillors, Richard Mayo and Jenny Hyde, also have much the same workload.