Back of the envelope calculations by the Herefordshire Council cabinet member responsible for the assets which could be transferred from Herefordshire Council to Ross Town Council have been questioned by Town Councillors and members of the public. Figures quoted by Councillor Harry Bramer at the meeting of Ross Town Council last Monday have been questioned and many suggest they do not stand up to close scrutiny.

Cllr Bramer suggested that Ross Town Council should take over the assets offered by Herefordshire Council and it would cost about £36,000 a year to run them locally. He said savings could be made at a local level that Herefordshire Council was not able to achieve.

However after the meeting Councillor Chris Bartrum, the Mayor of Ross spoke to the Ross Gazette and asked how Cllr Bramer had arrived at that figure. He said?"We know it costs £37, 000 a year for the grass cutting at the riverside and the Market House costs over £50,000, the total for the running costs for the assets would be well over £100,000." He asked:?"How could we reduce this figure so much, and secondly, if we could achieve these savings why has Herefordshire Council not done something about this sooner?"

On the Ross Gazette Facebook page Councillor Doctor Jane Roberts said:?"We need more than back of the envelope calculations of the likely costs."

The Ross Gazette asked Cllr Bramer how he had arrived at the figure of £36, 000. He said that the amount Herefordshire Council is paying includes contractual costs and staff costs and by using volunteers and local contractors it would be possible to bring these costs down. He said the savings would largely depend on the use that is made of the buildings and he encouraged the Town Councillors to 'get their own figures."

For more stories in full please see this week's Ross Gazette.