Ross Town Council has pledged £26,000 towards the campaign to fund a Ross-to-Ledbury bus service.

The service which runs via Newent and Upton Bishop will connect people previously cut off from the nearest railway station.

Following a lively discussion, with contributions from the public gallery as well as passionate pleas from councillors, the decision was unanimously agreed—at the full council meeting on Monday, October 10—to contribute the full amount requested to help fund the first year of running costs for the route.

Chair of the management committee Cllr John Winder endorsed the contribution and suggested full council votes in favour of it and that the expense is budgeted for next year.

Cllr Jane Roberts BEM spend a substantially amount of time reviewing the proposal as it was a significant amount of cash for the town. She added that it was essentially unknowable as to how successful this venture would be, without actually rolling it out.

In order to work out if this route had long-term viability, it would be necessary to put the money down for the first year of running costs.

She said: “I’m prepared to support this resolution tonight because I think if it works it’ll bring a lot of benefits to Ross.” She added: “I think this is a risk, but I think it’s a risk worth taking.”

She added that whilst people in Ross would stand to benefit from the route, the town’s residents also pay a substantially higher rate of council tax, and as such, she implored the visitors from the neighbouring villages to ask the same per capita rate on contribution from their parish councils.

Cllr Julian Utting added a sobering consideration to the meeting. Although generally being in favour of it, he said that as a result of this vote, other council ambitions will probably have to be cut when it comes to next year’s budget.

He also wanted to make it clear that this should be under the remit of Herefordshire County Council and the government, but as they have let down residents, town and parish councils have to take on a responsibility, which is not their job to do.

“I hope next May at the ballot box you remember who cut your service and which council actually funded it to allow it to go on.”

“I’m prepared to support this resolution tonight because I think if it works it’ll bring a lot of benefits to Ross.” She added: “I think this is a risk, but I think it’s a risk worth taking.”