November Update

23rd November 2025

You may have received a copy of the Wotton Ward News through your letterbox recently. If not, there's a copy here. If you could lend a hand delivering leaflets to your neighbours we'd appreciate the help.

Local membership of the Green Party is now just shy of 1000 members. We are holding a local meeting in Wotton on Thursday 4th December at the Baptist Church. All Green Party members are welcome to attend. Contact me or Catherine for more details or why not join the Green Party here

On the Local Government Reorganisation front things have moved on. Stroud District Council voted for a single Gloucestershire unitary authority (The Greens voting for this along with the Lib Dems and Conservatives). Labour, alone were arguing to split the county into two which would have left council tax payers picking up a hefty bill for years to come. As GCC Cabinet had already voted for a single unitary it was pretty much a done deal anyway, but I suppose Westminster could simply overrule this decision if it doesn't align with their plans.

What really irks me (and many other councillors) about the whole LRG process; As a Green I want all these services and decision making devolved right down to the lowest practical level. This means district and town councils taking on far more of the county responsibility. Abolishing GCC, if you like. Urban districts like Gloucester focusing on their priorities, rural districts like Stroud focusing on theirs. This would offer true local accountability. It's pretty much the French model.

But that option wasn't even investigated or offered as a option in the backing papers. Why not? Westminster prefers autocracy; command and control. This reorganisation has nothing to do with devolution it's all about central control.

So, as seems normal for a councillor nowadays, we were expected to vote for the least worst choice for those who we represent. Why do we so often have to vote for the least worst option? At SDC on Thursday like all my Green colleagues I was intending to vote for 1UA on 'let's not create a £20m black hole' grounds, but I wasn't feeling to good on the night. Once I worked out that the vote for 1UA had the numbers, I felt able to make apologies and headed home to rest. :( Bisoprolol and high‑dose atorvastatin are messing with me!

I spent the other Sunday up in Westridge woods with a group of residents showing support for responsible forestry management. There is tree felling planned to start imminently to address ash dieback but there are concerns following shortcomings with prior work.

A press release has been sent from all the ward councillors (Green, Lib Dem and parish councillors) there's a copy here on the Green Party web site but it should find its way into the local press without any Green Party branding, this is a community effort. My more detailed, but less polished, background notes and blog are here. A 'hate campaign' indeed... ;)

I spent Friday at GCC for the Gloucestershire Police & Crime Panel. Hot off the press, Westminster have announced that Police & Crime Commissionaires are to be abolished along with their office, the OPCC. Politically, I'm miles away from Chris Nelson but I do have confidence in his ability to manage the long overdue upgrading of Police systems. However, I have less confidence in him delivering on important aspects of his Police & Crime Plan. His precept has been increased to the max in recent years yet sections of our community, those who can least afford it, are now paying a premium price for an approach that nurtures disproportionality. This is inequitable, structural and addressing is long overdue.

So, OPCC powers will soon shift to undefined, newly created policing boards. These boards will consist of upper‑tier council leaders, appointed experts with a policing and crime lead. Westminster claims these boards won’t revert to the old “bureaucratic and invisible” committee‑based oversight that existed before PCCs. But, as Chris Nelson said the 'back of a fag packet' detail offered to date suggests that claim doesn't stack up. Despite the seriousness, his comment made me smile. :)

Sadly, there was some awful behaviour by a long standing Cllr, shouting and desk banging! At least we weren't subjected to racist diatribe, which seems to be par for the course at GCC nowadays. I've raised it before.... I find the culture at GCC toxic. It's in complete contrast to the ethos at SDC all flowing from the exemplary leadership and example shown by Chloe, Catherine and Kathy.

I've put together some video clips of the Panel meeting. The panel has representation from all the other councils in Gloucestershire.

I've recently published my notes from the November Wotton Town Council meeting and Stinchcombe too. Also, it's now confirmed that the planning variation (S.23/2101/VAR) to provide landscaping in lieu of bank parking at the Symn Lane Car Park will come before DCC early next month (Dec 2nd). The Town Council, on 17th November, 'considered' the variation but after a really lengthy debate I don't recall it being put to the vote. The DCC Committee Officer's Report is here; officer recommendation to support.

As always, you know where I am (Cookability - We also have a 10% sale btw!) if you have any questions or just want a chat. Use my contact info if you spot, errors or I've just got something completely wrong! Also, I'm not using Facebook much any more, but feel free to link and share these reports using whatever social media you fancy.

You can also find me on the Fediverse (social media without adverts, algorithms or outrage) here:- https://stroud.social/eco-g But I'm no longer on BlueSky as my account has been suspended on 'authenticity' grounds. tbh. I'm beyond caring about US Big Tech social media, I prefer to run my own fedi server.