New Presteigne Mayor praises town council for going beyond traditional responsibilities

The new mayor of Presteigne and Norton has praised the town council for going above and beyond traditional council responsibilities.

Councillor Curtis Ross was elected as the mayor of the town at the recent annual meeting.

Councillor James Ramsay was elected as the deputy mayor for 2026-2027.

In his acceptance speech Councillor Ross praised Presteigne and Norton Town Council for “refusing to be satisfied by past successes.”

He highlighted how the authority has gone far beyond the traditional responsibilities of a town council.

While councils are typically expected to maintain parks, playgrounds and public amenities, the Mayor said the community had continually expanded its ambitions through major projects and investment in local wellbeing.

Recent achievements highlighted were the creation of the eight-acre Coed Llanandras nature reserve, new community event and storage facilities, and plans to potentially double the size of the town skate park.

The Mayor also pointed to the town’s bid for Town of Culture funding as an example of the community’s determination to think bigger, describing the potential £3 million investment as “the single biggest investment Presteigne and Norton would have seen in living memory”, if won.

Even if the bid is unsuccessful, the Mayor said the process had already revealed the “extensive network of tireless volunteer, charity and community groups” across the area, while identifying opportunities to improve provision for young people.

Looking ahead, the Mayor said the council’s focus for the coming year would be strengthening cooperation across the community and “joining the dots” between local organisations, residents and young people.

In her retiring speech, out-going Mayor Councillor Deborah Edwards thanked members, the Clerk and all contractors for their work for the council over the year.

She added that in her role as Mayor she had witnessed the strength, kindness and resilience of people in Presteigne and Norton.

She highlighted projects over the year including the new paths network on Went's Meadow, ongoing work on the council nature reserve and the starting of a new initiative to provide some free parking for Presteigne in 2026/27.

She noted that other community councils seemed to also be looking at this as an option for the future.

She noted the town of culture bid and the hard work that had gone into producing the initial application with a decision still awaited.

She also recognised the invaluable contribution from the various volunteers, groups and businesses locally that contributed to making the community what it is.