Madam, I would like to respond to Susan Price's letter of April 27th as she raises many very important issues in it.
One can only, unfortunately, draw the conclusion that the litter over the bank holiday along the Rope Walk was left by those visiting it. If Amey carried out regular clean ups as reported by the Gazette (and there is no reason to believe they didn't) it has to be assumed that a great number of people are quite happy to just discard their rubbish for someone else to clean up, which is very saddening.
The same can be said of the dog owners who bag their dog's poop only to then chuck it in the nearest bush or tree. I have taken part in a number of voluntary litter clear ups around the town and it never ceases to dismay me how careless people are of their environment. It is not, however, the responsibility of the Town Council to keep these areas clean, it is a County Council one but Ross Town Council does contract The Can Do Crew to keep the town centre tidy.
Regarding the Yzone a small point but an important one; Ross Town Council has no control over how it is used or how much money is spent on it as it is the responsibility of The County Council so any concerns about the Yzone should be directed to it.
As to the Christmas lights two years ago the Town Council entered into a contract with a specialist company to provide new, low carbon lights that, in the opinion of many, were the best ever seen in Ross. It is true that a few elements of the across street lights were not working last year and the contractor has agreed to ensure that this is not the case this year and to provide additional lights in compensation. The Association of Ross Traders' has done much to enhance the scheme by encouraging shops to put up their own lights and trees and by having some of the trees in Gloucester Rd decorated.
The newly elected Ross Town Council will work hard to continue improving Ross based on the findings of The Ross Town Plan and welcomes comment from residents who draw important issues to its attention.
Cllr Caroline Utting, Ross