My year as Mayor is now more than half over, so it is a good time to say thank you to all who have made it so enjoyable. Especial thanks go to the Town Council staff, especially the Clerk Sarah Robson, my fellow Town Councillors, and of course my deputy, Cllr Danny Lister and consort, Cllr Chris Bartrum.

Highlights of the year so far are many, but among those which stand out are of course the way the town worked together to put on the Gilpin 2020 launch event and the visit of HRH the Prince of Wales to Ross. Other wonderful examples of volunteers working together for the good of the town were the Town Carnival in August, the many events organised by the Royal British Legion, the newly established Ross-on-Wye parkrun every Saturday and so many others too numerous to mention. I have also been touched by the wonderful response to the Ross Good Neighbours project, which is on track to be launched early next year.

As we start 2020 the Town Council has, for the first time, a strategic plan for the next three years, within two important over-arching commitments. First, we have resolved to take the climate emergency seriously, reducing the Council’s carbon emissions and helping households and businesses in the town to make similar reductions. Second, we have resolved to keep any increase in our annual budget within 2% plus inflation.

Plans are already underway to re-launch Ross in Bloom next year. In the longer term, we are also committed to making Ross a dementia friendly town, to create a conservation and biodiversity management plan, to develop a play strategy for Ross, install more electric vehicle charge points, and make improvements to the canoe launch in Long Acre.

Building on the Gilpin 2020 and Ross Reinvented Festivals, the Town Council plans to support more cultural events in future, with the eventual goal of re-creating Ross International Festival.

These are exciting and ambitious plans and, as I look forward to the remaining weeks of my Mayoral term, I know that Ross can be proud of all we have achieved in 2019 and excited about 2020 and beyond. I wish you all a peaceful Christmas and happy new year.

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