Cllr Gareth Kitchen

SDC | Update | News | Community Green Party District Councillor for Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley & Stinchcombe. Elected 2nd May 2024. Serving on the SDC Audit & Standards Committee and Gloucestershire Police & Crime Panel. 📧 cllr(dot)gareth(dot)kitchen@stroud(dot)gov(dot)uk ☎️ +44 7396 840710 For urgent and secure messaging use Signal: eco_g_20.24 or less securely, e-mail. (Voicemail and SMS messages are responded to most evenings after work. WhatsApp recently announced that it is no longer supported on my device.) Fediverse (Akkoma): https://stroud.social/eco-g ℅ Cookability, 35 Long Street, Wotton-under-Edge, GL12 7BX Privacy Policy - https://www.stroud.gov.uk/privacynotice

Human Rights Act 1988

September 19, 2024•256 words

Freedom of Expression 19th September 2024 Article 10 protects your right to hold your own opinions Article 10 protects your right to hold your own opinions and to express them freely without government interference. This includes the right to express your views aloud (for example through public protest and demonstrations) or through: published articles, books or leaflets television or radio broadcasting works of art the internet and social media Background My blog posts sometimes get ...

Wotton Town Council Meeting - September 2024

September 17, 2024•603 words

Wotton Town Council Meeting 16th September 2024 I attended a meeting of Wotton Town Council meeting last night along with SDC Cllr Cohen and SDC Cllr Braun, I took some informal notes. Two apologies from Cllrs. and the Mayor questioned if the reasons were valid. One Cllr declared an interest on the Planning item. Previous minutes were approved, but one Cllr questioned how the Action Points were tracked and a discussion ensued. [Performance Management and Risk registers seem to be a ho...

WhatsApp

September 15, 2024•140 words

Great. This mobile device was purchased solely for Council work and to deal with WhatsApp. I purchased it from my own pocket as SDC won't permit mobile phones against expenses. Now WhatsApp, a Meta owned company, have discontinued support on these devices. At least you can contact me quickly and securely using Signal or e-mail. Signal is a great company and their product is just as effective as WhatsApp but without all the tracking, privacy and metadata issues associated with Meta/Faceboo...

Wotton-under-Edge Ward Infographic

September 14, 2024•52 words

Wotton-under-Edge Ward Some interesting facts about Wotton-under-Edge from a few different data sources:- Mid 2020 population estimates, ONS 2011 Census : Crime rate, Gloucestershire Constabulary: Unemployment Claimant Count, ONS For Further information please visit: https://inform.gloucestershire.gov.uk/ Produced by: Rachel Morgan, Data and Analysis Team, Gloucestershire County Council ...

Rushmire Hill - Closure

September 13, 2024•270 words

Rushmire Hill - Upcoming works and road closure Summary The B4058, Rushmire Hill, connects Wotton-under-Edge with Nailsworth, Stroud and Tetbury. Over the years Rushmire Hill has been subject to repeat disruption due to unstable ground below a section of the road. GCC have been closely monitoring and investigating since 2016 and different phases of resurfacing have been carried out to maintain road access. Highways will now carry out a large-scale repair to ensure the long-term stabilit...

Pension Credit

September 11, 2024•209 words

I spent Sunday at Mum's. Going through bank statements and savings to see if she could claim Pension Credit. Pension Credit will give her extra money to help with her living costs as she's over State Pension age without much income. Pension Credit is worth, on average, £3,900 per year and unlocks additional support including the Winter Fuel Payment, help with Council Tax, NHS dental care and a free TV licence. Luckily she has broadband and is able to access the Government web site. https://ww...

Gloucestershire Police & Crime Panel - September '24

September 11, 2024•1,878 words

Summary - Shire Hall A meeting summary and personal notes authored by Cllr Gareth Kitchen, SDC. This post is an early draft of content that will form the basis of a collaborative report feeding into the Community Services and Licensing Committee at SDC. Webcast of meeting. Agenda packs etc. A few apologies and a few new representatives, minutes of the previous meeting approved and no declarations of interest. Recent national public disorder - Gloucestershire response PCC was impresse...

North Nibley Parish Council Meeting - September 2024

September 4, 2024•392 words

North Nibley Parish Council Meeting 4th September 2024 It was a pleasure attending the Parish Council meeting last night along with Cllr Braun and Cllr Cohen last night. After the normal formalities there was discussion on the progress of various activities councillors are working on. Talk of expanding the defibrillators out from the central area to Waterley Bottom etc. The embryonic idea of a cycleway to link up to the Wotton - Charfield Greenway. Tree surgery work in the churchyard. C...

County Councillor Report - September 2024

September 3, 2024•3,298 words

County Councillor Report – 3rd September 2024 Prepared by Cllr Linda Cohen Reproduced with permission MY CONTACT DETAILS If you have any ideas that you’d like to discuss or community / personal issues that need my help please get in touch. Email linda.cohen@gloucestershire.gov.uk 07791110906 My remit includes: Education, Highways, Children and Families Services, Health and Social Care, The Environment, Apprenticeships, Employment and Business, Fire and Rescue, Police, Trading Standards an...

SDC Councillors' report - September 2024

September 1, 2024•813 words

Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley & Stinchcombe Local News Dryleaze – Independent Living scheme - SDC will be undertaking modernisation works to the communal lounge and kitchen in Dryleaze House, starting at the end of September. A consultation meeting was held in July with residents and a meeting is scheduled for residents to meet with and ask question to the appointed site manager, on Tuesday 10th September between 10:00 and 11:00. Council meetings Link to meeting agenda and documents...

Wotton Town Council Meeting - August 2024

August 20, 2024•539 words

Wotton Town Council Meeting 19th August 2024 I attended a packed meeting of Wotton Town Council meeting last night along with Cllr Cohen and I took some informal notes. There were thirty or forty members of the public present. All, bar one, campaigners for saving the 84/85 bus route. One member of the public, representing Wotton Lions, was seeking reduced rates for Town Hall hire for a charity fundraiser to celebrate the life of Pat Comer. Items 9&5 on the agenda was brought forwar...

Gloucestershire Economic Growth/City Region Board

August 17, 2024•301 words

Gloucestershire Economic Growth/City Region Board Stroud Times Article 17th August 2024 (Facebook wouldn't let me post this on my Councillor page as it goes against their community standards!!! It also got me banned from the platform for a couple of days.) GFirstLEP pretty successful? The inability of GFirst LEP to deliver their Industrial Strategy left the County economically rudderless for five years. It's more than disappointing that the aged draft version of that flawed strategy was...

SDC Councillors' report - August 2024

August 2, 2024•826 words

Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley & Stinchcombe Along with residents' casework and in addition to council and induction training meetings at Ebley Mill, Cllrs Kitchen, Braun & Cohen attended the regular council meetings at North Nibley, Stinchcombe & Wotton-under-Edge as well as a Symn Lane Car Park meeting 30th July. Cllr Kitchen attended various meetings relating to the Gloucestershire Police & Crime Panel and the re-appointment of Nick Evans the Deputy PCC. Cllr Braun atten...

Stinchcombe Parish Extraordinary Council Meeting

August 1, 2024•206 words

Stinchcombe Parish Extraordinary Council Meeting 1st August 2024 It was a pleasure to attend Stinchcombe Parish Council meeting last night. Here are my personal notes. Again, it's good to see residents bringing issues to Council for discussion. It is difficult to find the minutes and agenda on the current web site, it was asked if the last set had actually been uploaded. The Chair advised that a new web site was being setup which should make things easier to find. An update about wh...

Gloucestershire Police & Crime Panel - July '24

July 30, 2024•1,343 words

Summary - Shire Hall A meeting summary and personal notes authored by Cllr Gareth Kitchen, SDC. An early draft of this content will form the basis of a collaborative report that will feed into the Community Services and Licensing Committee at SDC. Webcast of meeting. Agenda packs etc. Update from the PCC The PCC was asked for brief highlights. Worries about funding channelled to urban areas. Wants to up the game re VAWG (Violence against women and girls) PCC managed to get £1m. to d...

Wotton Town Council Meeting - July 2024

July 16, 2024•670 words

Wotton Town Council Meeting 16th July 2024 I attended the Wotton Town Council meeting last night with Cllr Braun and I took some informal notes. Excellent news to start the meeting. Two people were co-opted onto the Town Council; Paul Jones and Paul Barton who has returned after a period of absence. But there is still room for more! There were a number of parishioners present for the public forum. It was decided to bring item 7ii forward for discussion. Jeff Walshe from the Herit...

Stinchcombe Parish Council Meeting July 2024

July 11, 2024•420 words

Stinchcombe Parish Council Meeting 10th July 2024 Again, it was a pleasure to attend Stinchcombe Parish Council meeting yesterday along with SDC Cllr Braun. Here are my personal notes. The meeting was well attended. Great to see a number of representatives of Dursley Rugby Football Club present. Also a member of the public who was able to raise issues of importance. Items discussed included:- The Church field lease has now been signed. The Rugby Club gave a detailed presentation. ...

Tour of the District

July 10, 2024•272 words

New councillors induction tour of the district Spent most of Wednesday on a bus visiting key places around the district where SDC are involved with projects. First off to Stroud Rail Station and to hear about ideas for the regeneration of the area on both sides of the tracks as well as step free access to the station. Then we travelled down to Brimscombe Port, a former inland port dating back to the 1780s which was in-filled after the Second World War. The site has been cleared and await...

North Nibley Parish Council Meeting - July 2024

July 3, 2024•360 words

North Nibley Parish Council Meeting 3rd July 2024 Again it was a pleasure attending such a vibrant and professional Parish Council meeting last night along with Cllr Linda Cohen. Cllr Catherine Braun sent apologies. At the start of the meeting parish councillors who had interests regarding agenda items declared them. Proper observance of the code of conduct really does help to cement trust with the community. Members of the public were present and were able to talk on issues that were im...

Planning enforcement investigation

July 3, 2024•376 words

High Street shops - Change of use A worrying casework issue. I was asked by a resident if there has been a 'change of use' for one of the shops on the High Street. I made an informal inquiry to Planning at SDC and they implied it was all OK as offices and shops are both considered to be use class E. Use class E is a new class, which the Govt. introduced in 2021 and allows for ad-hoc change of use within that class. Class E Class E is for the following purposes: Display or retail sale of go...

SDC Councillors' report - July 2024

July 2, 2024•655 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. Other meetings of note included one organised by WTC orienting new town councillors with the Symn Lane Car Park. Linda's main project this month has been a review of the hedgerows and pathways around Wotton to establish the ...

Closer to Home

June 18, 2024•166 words

Voices of Hope in a Time Crisis This 35-minute film is a united call for a new economy, delivered by those who have committed their lives to working for systemic change. We live in a time of multiple crises, from climate chaos, poverty, and war to skyrocketing costs of living. It can seem overwhelming – until we realise that we have the power to change things. ‘Closer to Home’ brings together an extraordinary array of thinkers, writers, and activists from every continent to make a simple but r...

Wotton Town Council Meeting

June 18, 2024•552 words

Wotton Town Council Meeting 17th June 2024 It was a pleasure to attend the Wotton Town Council meeting last night and I took some informal notes. It was mentioned in the public forum how wonderful Wotton Pride was. A real sense of community and inclusivity. Bel Whitwam gave a talk about Streamsfield and the Recreational trust. A beautiful corner of Wotton with big plans for wildlife and nature. This Saturday 22nd June, it will host activities for children and adults from 8 am to midday,...

Rural England Prosperity Fund

June 15, 2024•158 words

Grants of £3,000 - £20,000 15th June 2024 I've discovered that Stroud District Council was awarded £400,000 in 2023 via the Rural England Prosperity Fund. So, local community groups and organisations in Wotton, North Nibley & Stinchcombe can apply for grants of £3,000 - £20,000 from it. Applications can be made until 10 January 2025. The money can be used to support capital projects for small businesses and community organisations which aim to strengthen our local economy and infrast...

Stinchcombe Parish Council Meeting

June 13, 2024•418 words

Stinchcombe Parish Council Meeting 12th June 2024 It was a pleasure to attend my first Stinchcombe Parish Council meeting last Wednesday night along with SDC Cllr Braun and GCC/SDC Cllr Cohen. Here are my personal notes. It was great to see a number of parishioners present who were able to raise issues of importance to them and the community. Items discussed included:- Motorised traffic using a local bridleway. Possibly due to people deferring common-sense to their mobile computer equip...

Subscribe Button

June 12, 2024•36 words

Unfortunately e-mail subscription via the Subscribe Button on the home page isn't working. :( I've logged a ticket with the service provider who acknowledge the problem. Hopefully it will be resolved in the next few days. ...

Not Guilty: Just Stop Oil

June 7, 2024•98 words

Jury equity Jury finds three Just Stop Oil petrol pump protestors not guilty despite all their legal defences being ruled out. A unanimous Not Guilty verdict was returned. They were charged with £190,000 of damage and loss of earnings for decommissioning petrol pumps in April 2022. Some say this is astonishing. It's not really. It is called jury equity. Any jury may consider that the law itself is unjust. It is an important principle and indicates public opposition to aspects of law, in t...

North Nibley Parish Council Meeting

June 6, 2024•284 words

North Nibley Parish Council Meeting 5th June 2024 It was a pleasure attending such a vibrant and professional Parish Council meeting last night. The council is putting out a call for new members who can be co-opted onto the council. Cllr Linda Cohen reported back on a number of issue that she is helping with. Mainly highways related issues and discussion on a pedestrian crossing. I reported back on my SDC monthly report. Some discussion about the environmental impact of garden waste co...

Symn Lane Car Park: Update

June 5, 2024•1,179 words

Informal business meeting & induction - Symn Lane Car Park Following receipt of the Stripe Consulting Report and other documentation from the Town Council, last week, I've had a meeting with the other district councillors about the car park. We all want the car park to be opened as soon as possible. However, the developer left site a year ago and there are unresolved planning matters. The schedule of works is long and complex. In order to get the new town councillors up to speed with ...

Gareth Kitchen's Councillor Report - May 24

June 3, 2024•580 words

Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley & Stinchcombe Prepared by Cllr Gareth Kitchen based on my activity in May. Stroud District Council and Committee papers Recordings of meetings SDC Meetings Council - AGM With the elections on May 2nd there was just one meeting in May, the AGM. This is where councillors are allocated to the various committees and chairs appointed. The Greens being the largest party is reflected in the makeup of each committee. Gareth Kitchen is serving on the ...