Cllr Gareth Kitchen

Community News | SDC | Council Meetings | Wotton | Stroud Greens do politics differently. Green Party District Councillor for Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley & Stinchcombe, Gloucestershire, UK. Elected 2nd May 2024. Serving on the SDC Audit & Standards Committee and Gloucestershire Police & Crime Panel. 📧 cllr.gareth.kitchen@stroud.gov.uk ☎️ +44 7396 840710 Secure Web Contact Form: https://cryptpad.fr/form/#/2/form/view/9q0gPl18J1obc9U++FOSQwaL2euErvZTXekMKQVGScw/ For urgent and secure messaging use Signal: eco_g_20.24 or less securely, e-mail. (Voicemail & SMS messages are responded to daily.) ℅ Stroud District Council, Ebley Mill, Ebley Wharf, Stroud, GL5 4UB Privacy Policy - https://www.stroud.gov.uk/privacynotice Promoted by Rob Brookes on behalf of Stroud District Green Party, at 17 Great George St, Bristol BS1 5QT. Find me on the Fediverse (social media without adverts, algorithms or outrage) here:-

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BBC Complaints - Case number CAS-8384334-Y6Q6P5

May 23, 2026•518 words

Thanks for contacting the BBC. This is to confirm we’ve received the attached complaint sent in this name. We’ve included the text of the complaint and a case reference for your records (see below). Our normal aim at this stage is to reply within 10 working days (two weeks). We hope you will understand that sometimes it may take us longer. If we think that will be the case here, we'll try to let you know in advance. We’ll normally include your complaint in our overnight report to producers ...

Wotton Town Council - May 2026

May 19, 2026•1,633 words

Wotton Town Council Meeting 18th May 2026 My informal notes and personal commentary from Monday's Town Council meeting. I forgot to mention the splendid new railings at School Road in the meeting. A councillor observed that the fencing here needed replacement timbers at the January meeting. This was reported using the Fix My Street app—and bingo! This is the result. Welcome & Elections Cllr Lesley Hewish was back in the chair, recovering well and thanking Cllr Rich Halpin for holdin...

Stinchcombe Parish Council - 13th May 2026

May 17, 2026•463 words

Stinchcombe Parish Council Meeting 13th May 2026 My informal notes and personal commentary from last week's Parish Council meeting and Annual Assembly. Annual Assembly Cllr Charlie Macfarlane addressed a packed Annual Assembly held in the new Mezzanine room at the recently refurbished Village Hall. An amazing turnout for a parish of this size! Everyone was thanked for their engagement. Too many groups and projects to remember or list! Grants were awarded to Tiny Toads and to the Villag...

SDC Councillors' Report - May 2026

May 3, 2026•2,036 words

Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley & Stinchcombe Along with residents' casework and in addition to council and training meetings at Ebley Mill, Cllrs Kitchen, Braun & Cohen attended the regular council meetings at North Nibley, Stinchcombe & Wotton-under-Edge. Council meetings Link to meeting agenda and documents in the committee title. Strategy & Resources Committee - 16th April Stratford Park Lido in Stroud - Capital Investment Options. The lido first opened in 1937 and...

Planning and Extraordinary Wotton Town Council - April 2026

April 28, 2026•840 words

Planning Meeting 27th April 2026 Earlier, I was at the campaign to save Stroud Maternity (yet again! This is the third campaign in the last 25 years!). My eldest was born there; I remember that 3am trip from Bradley Street to Stroud well! Maybe the community setting is not everyone's preference and is not appropriate for all circumstances, but this is about women's choices and fairness in healthcare. ✍️ Signing the petition: https://www.change.org/p/save-stroud-maternity-unit Anyway, here ...

Annual Town Meeting & Wotton Town Council - April 2026

April 21, 2026•1,388 words

Annual Town Meeting & Wotton Town Council Meeting 20th April 2026 My informal notes and personal comments from the Annual Town Meeting followed by the Town Council meeting last night that I attended with Cllrs Braun & Cohen. I arrived earlier than usual for the Annual Town Meeting. I was greeted with a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit. There were quite a few people already there, so I had a chat with some residents and councillors as we waited for the start of the meeting. Then, s...

Stinchcombe Parish Council - April 2026

April 16, 2026•564 words

Stinchcombe Parish Council Meeting 15th April 2026 My informal notes and personal comment from last night's Parish Council meeting. Cllr Braun and Cohen had sent apologies. Some discussion in the public forum about a heavy traffic sign that had been knocked down on Tait's Hill road. October for the next litter pick, possibly the 11th time to be reviewed. Kath Hudson is retiring next month and a replacement is needed for Speedwatch group. This month's SDC Councillors' report was circulated...

Bolster Wotton - April 2026

April 15, 2026•958 words

Bolster Wotton Meeting Recap 13h April 2026 I went to a well attended meeting for Bolster Wotton last Monday evening at the Swan along with Cllr Braun. I took some very informal fat fingered notes on my phone so contact me if I've jotted anything down incorrectly, especially dates! There was talk of an official list that will be distributed but I thought I'd get this out quick so the dates can be noted. (Check back for updates and I'll add a link to the official list when I get it.) I had...

North Nibley Parish Council - April 2026

April 15, 2026•360 words

North Nibley Parish Council Meeting 1st April 2026 My informal notes from last Wednesday's Parish Council meeting that I attended. SDC Cllr. Braun and GCC/SDC Cllr. Cohen had other commitments and had sent their apologies. The Clerk had sent apologies so the Chair had their hands full managing the meeting, Cllr Smith takes the minutes. Normal meeting formalities. The Chair rattled through the action points of the previous meeting. I answered some questions on the SDC District Councillors...

Extraordinary Wotton Town Council and Planning - March 2026

March 31, 2026•834 words

Extraordinary Wotton Town Council Meeting 30th March 2025 My informal notes and personal comment from the Planning Meeting followed by the Extraordinary Town Council meeting on Monday that I attended. Cllrs Braun & Cohen had sent apologies. Planning Meeting Cllr John Lewis elected Chair of the Planning Committee and Martin Tucker elected as deputy. A few apologies from other Cllrs. No declarations of interest, no questions from the public (just me this week!). Minutes approved, maybe...

SDC Councillors' Report - April 2026

March 29, 2026•1,454 words

Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley & Stinchcombe Along with residents' casework and in addition to council and training meetings at Ebley Mill, Cllrs Kitchen, Braun & Cohen attended the regular council meetings at North Nibley, Stinchcombe & Wotton-under-Edge. Council meetings Link to meeting agenda and documents in the committee title. Development Control Committee - 10th March 2026 Former rabbit farm at Stancombe, Bisley with Lypiatt Parish. S.25/1691/FUL Application to e...

OPCC refers me to the Monitoring Officer

March 24, 2026•480 words

Well it's been a long time coming, I guess. My blog and reports have been noted for plain speaking and none of the normal corporate fluff. Greens do things differently, I guess. Yesterday, I was attending an excellent session on Mental Health Awareness at Ebley Mill. Actually, I thought it was for councillors and how one can identify metal health problems and help others. It wasn't, it was about you as an individual. Wow, I tick so many of those stress boxes!! Rather foolishly, two third...

Police & Crime Panel - 20th March 2026

March 21, 2026•1,316 words

Summary - Shire Hall 20th March 2026 A meeting summary and [personal comment]. Authored by: Cllr. Gareth Kitchen representing Stroud District Council Reporting to: Community Services and Licencing Committee. [minus the personal comments] Webcast of meeting. Agenda packs etc. Minutes When available. [Meeting kicked off with the normal formalities. I detected a frostiness in the room at this meeting which was unusual. I was wondering if this was because of me. I had (unintentionally) ...

Wotton Town Council - March 2026

March 17, 2026•706 words

Wotton Town Council Meeting 16th March 2026 Informal notes taken by SDC Cllr Braun (this month only!) from the Town Council meeting on Monday. Regrettably, I had to send apologies, an unexpectedly protracted visit to the dentist. :( Cllr Braun had attended the annual Kingswood parish meeting earlier, to represent the Greenway Group, which is working with the councils to create a safe, traffic-free walking and cycling route to connect Wotton, Charfield and Kingswood. So, this month, the not...

Advanced Questions: P&C Panel - March 2026

March 16, 2026•483 words

Advanced questions To GCC Democratic Services So that I can get complete answers I want to give the OPCC advance notice of some of the questions I'm intending to ask on Friday relating to Section 8: OPCC CEO Report. Para #2.5 p50 of the GCC backing papers. What advice/guidance is being relied upon here? e.g. suggesting that there is no statutory requirement to disclose information with 'no case to answer' outcomes? Supplementary: Please share this info with Panel. I feel we need to bette...

Stinchcombe Parish Council - 11th March 2026

March 14, 2026•527 words

Stinchcombe Parish Council Meeting 11th March 2026 My informal notes from last Wednesdays Parish Council meeting that I attended along with Cllr. Braun. Cllr Cohen sent apologies. Normal formalities then a quick run through of action points and reports . The successful litter pick noted, last Sunday, one of the best turnouts ever. It was good fun! Composting bays built at St Cyr’s Nature Sanctuary. Material being prepared for Taits Hill Planning Inquiry. Kath's standing down from running...

North Nibley Parish Council Meeting - 4th March 2026

March 5, 2026•440 words

North Nibley Parish Council Meeting 4th March 2026 My informal notes from Wednesday's Parish Council meeting that I attended along with SDC Cllr. Braun and GCC/SDC Cllr. Cohen. Lots of updates on actions from the previous meeting. Bins update, planning at SDC seems understaffed, fix Annual parish meeting date. No questions on the SDC Councillors' Report but there has been a bit of movement on the Local Plan. The Inspectors will conduct a limited consultation on the latest highways assess...

SDC Councillors' Report - March 2026

March 2, 2026•1,287 words

Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley & Stinchcombe Along with residents' casework and in addition to council meetings at Ebley Mill and elsewhere, Cllrs Kitchen, Braun & Cohen attended the regular council meetings at North Nibley, Stinchcombe & Wotton-under-Edge. Council meetings Link to meeting agenda and documents in the committee title. Full Council - 19th February 2026 Annual budget meeting, to agree the final SDC budget and also the council tax for 2026/27. Council tax com...

SDC Report - Police & Crime Panel - February 2026

February 24, 2026•642 words

Proposed Gloucestershire Police Precept 2026/2027 The PCC’s recommendations for the 2026‑27 revenue budget and the MTFP (2026‑27 to 2029‑30). He asked support for a Council‑tax precept increase of £18.50, giving a Band D Council‑tax rate of £340.58 for 2026‑27, a 5.74% rise. There is a budget gap of £2.3 m for 2026‑27 which will be funded by the higher precept, additional reserves use, and modest grant growth. The numbers; overall grant increase 2.8%, pay award assumption 3% plus increme...

Stroud District Council passes Green budget

February 21, 2026•915 words

Stroud District Council passes Green budget that ‘invests fairly in the whole District’ Summary The Green-led administration at Stroud District Council has passed an “investment budget” for Stroud District, balancing the challenge of cuts in government funding with an ambitious programme that puts over £4.6million in council priorities and new measures across the district. Detail The Green-led administration at Stroud District Council last night (Thursday February 19) passed an “investment...

Wotton Town Council - February 2026

February 17, 2026•1,711 words

Wotton Town Council Meeting 16th February 2026 [Snowdrops, the first breath after a long dark spell, the quiet return of life where everything once seemed lost] My informal notes and personal comment from the Town Council meeting on Monday that I attended along with SDC Cllr Braun and SDC/GCC Cllr Linda Cohen. The first job of the Council was to appoint a new Chair. There was a bit of confusion about the role of Mayor. Cllr Lesley Hewish was prepared to become the Chair but didn't want to ...

Police & Crime Panel - 2nd February 2026

February 14, 2026•725 words

Summary - Shire Hall 2nd February 2026 A meeting summary, personal notes and comment. Authored by Cllr. Gareth Kitchen, SDC. This article will form the basis of my brief report feeding into the Community Services and Licensing Committee at SDC. Webcast of meeting. Agenda packs etc. Minutes (when published). Proposed Gloucestershire Police Precept 2026/2027 These are the PCC’s recommendations for the 2026‑27 revenue budget and the MTFP (2026‑27 to 2029‑30) and he wants support for a...

North Nibley Parish Council Meeting - February 2026

February 7, 2026•410 words

North Nibley Parish Council Meeting 4th February 2026 A very full council meeting. Great to see so many people taking an interest in the local community. A local GP spoke powerfully at the public forum about the use and misuse of Westridge Woods. He has noticed an increasing amount of litter in recent years. He was suggesting that trail head signs should be considered at bottom of wood lane. Reminding people of bridleways, sites of interest and good behaviour examples – e.g. yield to ...

Consultation: Local Government Reorganisation

February 6, 2026•509 words

The government has opened its consultation on proposals for LGR in Gloucestershire, yesterday, Thursday 5 February. This will be open for seven weeks. As you know, it follows the submission of three proposals to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) last November. What will the consultation cover? The consultation will ask for views on all three proposals submitted: One single county-wide unitary council Two unitary councils (east/west split) Two unitary cou...

Personal press release: Police & Crime Panel - Budget 2026/2027

February 4, 2026•596 words

Gloucestershire Police pledge more community engagement to restore trust A Green councillor has won changes to the Gloucestershire Police budget so that engagement with the most deprived sections of the community is properly funded. Cllr Gareth Kitchen, who represents Stroud District Council on the Gloucestershire Police & Crime Panel, successfully put forward a request to the panel’s budget meeting on Monday (February 2) for more focus on genuine community engagement to improve trust in p...

SDC Councillors' Report - February 2026

February 3, 2026•1,351 words

Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley & Stinchcombe Along with residents' casework and in addition to council and training meetings at Ebley Mill, Cllrs Kitchen, Braun & Cohen attended the regular council meetings at North Nibley, Stinchcombe & Wotton-under-Edge. Council meetings Link to meeting agenda and documents in the committee title. Strategy & Resources Committee - 15th Jan 2026 Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) - this is a planning charge, introduced in 2017 for St...

Video clips - Police & Crime Panel - February 2026

February 2, 2026•511 words

I represent Stroud District Council on the Gloucestershire Police & Crime Panel. Today the Panel supported my Green recommendation which will now accompany the Constabulary's budget:- To request more information be brought to the panel that preventative work is undertaken in Gloucestershire by the OPCC and the Constabulary to tackle inequity which includes stop & search, arrests, charging decision & use of force through genuine community engagement to improve trust in policing, bu...

Wotton Town Council - January 2026

January 20, 2026•3,150 words

Wotton Town Council Meeting 19th January 2026 My informal notes and personal comment from the Town Council meeting on Monday that I attended along with SDC Cllr Braun. Hannah was introduced as the new Locum. Apologies for absence from a few Cllrs. and GCC Cllr Cohen. A few declarations of interest and the minutes approved. Item 10 brought forward. Tina, the chair of the Beaumont–Le–Roger Twinning Society gave an update and the society wants to restart civic exchange visits. They are as...

SDC Councillors' Report - January 2026

January 5, 2026•2,326 words

Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley & Stinchcombe Along with residents' casework and in addition to council and training meetings at Ebley Mill, Cllrs Kitchen, Braun & Cohen attended the regular council meetings at North Nibley, Stinchcombe & Wotton-under-Edge. Council meetings Link to meeting agenda and documents in the committee title. Development Control Committee - 2nd December Solar photovoltaic farm at Epney, Framilode (S.25/1011/FUL) - REFUSED Committee followed the ...

Wotton Town Council - December 2025

December 16, 2025•1,861 words

Wotton Town Council Meeting 15th December 2025 My informal notes and personal comment from the Town Council meeting on Monday that I attended along with GCC/SDC Cllr Cohen. I arrived early, took my place in the public area. There were only two other people present. I guess it was forgotten that I attend as a member of the public so had to listen to, what I assume is, the normal misogynistic banter that occurs when the Clerk (or other female Cllrs for that matter) aren't around. :( Soon th...