Town councillors have responded to public calls for Pig’s Alley to be cleaned up.
Whilst the responsibilities of waste and street cleaning typically fall within the remit of Herefordshire Council, Cllr Louis Stark said that when it comes to keeping Ross town centre clean, the “solution lies with us”. The sentiment was echoed by other councillors who accepted that whilst it’s not the responsibility of the town council to keep Ross clean, they cannot rely on the county council to get this done and that they must be proactive if they expect results.
Cllr Phil Cutter described it as a “disgrace to the town” and added: “I know there are technical issues, but let’s get some money, out of reserves—or wherever—and just tidy it up.”
Cllr Daniel Lister said that this discussion could open a can of worms about how the town’s tidiness is dealt with. He added that during last month’s meeting, residents were given an opportunity where they’d like to prioritise spending and the idea of employing a street cleaner was the most popular of all the proposals.
Mayor Ed O’Driscoll jokingly suggested that the town council could hire a cleaner and sent the bill to the county council.
The town council decided to ask the Amenities Sub-Committee to investigate the possibility of employing a street cleaning service and to ask the Community, Markets and Tourism Sub-Committee to develop a public awareness campaign with Ross Community Litter Clear-up Crew.