After 37 years Byford’s long-standing Parish Councillor, Sue Hubbard, stepped down last spring. Since then, there has been a vacancy for the second Byford Parish Councillor. This was filled at the last parish council meeting in May by the Co-option of local resident Mark Geary.
1. Would you like to introduce yourself?
My name is Mark Geary and I am from Byford Common, where we have been living for just over 12 months now, my wife and our two children, as well as our dogs and chickens. I am, originally from Rural Hampshire in and around Winchester with a brief period over on the Isle of Wight.
2. What do you do, what are your interests?
I am a Chartered Engineer and Project Manager and I’ve spent the last 20 years working on major infrastructure programmes within the UK. At home, we are great lovers of the outdoors and any outdoor pursuits – be it walking, hiking or gardening – we’ve even taken a kayak down the river Wye. I’ve also completed the Hereford half marathon twice since moving here.
3. What is important to you?
It is important to me that we preserve the character of the countryside as well as our way of life here in Herefordshire, but also look to improve support services for transportation and access as well as promoting the local tourism economy.
With the current climate emergency in Herefordshire, one of the areas of focus l believe should be our consumption of energy and resources and how we in the parish can have better access to renewal forms of energy and provide support for greater reuse and recycling.
More and more people are embracing wilder gardens and that is good news for wild plants and the other wildlife that depend on them. Did you know just 8 dandelion flowers might produce enough nectar sugar to meet an adult bumblebee’s baseline energy needs?
Sue put so much effort into her role and worked tirelessly on many projects – The Parish Plan, The Community Centre and the 
