A PROPOSAL to erect a number of blue plaques to honour historical members of the Ross community have been mothballed until autumn.

At the recent meeting of Ross Town Council community markets and tourism sub committee members were told that it was 40 years ago was when the town last recognised the town’s great and the good as part of a project instigated by the mayor.

Ross Town Council has been considering blue plaques for an18th century author - William Gilpin who wrote Britain’s first travel guidebook; a 19th century musician - Bernhard Molique Carrodus, a violinist who played for Queen Victoria, and a rock band from the 1970s, namely Mott the Hoople, which had two musicians from Ross, guitarist Pete Overend Watts and drummer Dale Buffin Griffin.

Henry Edwards, an international entomologist who also gained fame as an actor in Australia and America, was born at Brook House in Ross in 1827, has also been nominated.

Ophelia Rajpaul, the council’s tourism and events officer told members that she had explored the costings for blue plaques and pointed out that the official Historic England scheme doesn’t allow blue plaques for groups, especially as some of them are still alive.

Ms Raipaul explained that two of the suggested nominations would need listed planning consent as the plaques would be erected on listed buildings.

Councillor Milly Boylan said: “Despite the achievements of these eminent men in Ross past, however Mott the Hoople means more to local people than any of the others.”

Cllr Ed O’Driscoll said: “All the blue plaques dotted around town have nothing to do with Historic England, it was the result of the mayor’s project in 1985.”

The council stated that it agreed with the scheme in principle but as funding had not been allocated to the project, it would not be debated again until the autumn.