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 - 4th March Aston Down, Cowcombe Lane, Chalford, Gloucestershire, S.20/0716/FUL A hybrid planning applicatio...

Bolster Wotton Meeting 25th March 2025 I attended a busy Bolster Wotton event last night. My local Councillor chums, Catherine and Linda were also there to help support the town in whatever way they can too. These are my informal notes. Personal comment The wise amongst us realise that there is little Councils (Town, District or County) can do directly regarding the High Street. Everything, more or less, falls to the entrepreneurial spirit of residents and risks taken by existing busine...

English Devolution - Local Government Reorganisation - LGR An excellent discussion at Stroud District Council this evening. As a Green there is no party line, so we are free to contribute in the best interests of the residents and business who we represent. I said what I thought needed to be said. The recommendation passed unanimously and I feel the wide ranging opinion will help shape and deliver the best possible outcome. I acknowledge that our leaders do a remarkable job of keeping the who...

Wotton Town Council Meeting 17th March 2025 I attended two meetings at the Civic Centre last night along with SDC Cllr. Braun. SDC/GCC Cllr. Cohen arrived later as there was another parish meeting in her ward. There were a few parishioners present. These are my informal notes. Annual Community Meeting (I can't find a link to a publicly available agenda) To meet statutory obligations the purpose of this meeting was to arrange another community meeting at 2pm on 18th May 2025, to be held ...

Summary - Shire Hall 10th March A meeting summary and some personal notes authored by Cllr. Gareth Kitchen, SDC. Brief report feeding into the Community Services and Licensing Committee at SDC will soon be here. Webcast of meeting. Agenda packs etc. Minutes here The fire alarm went off at GCC just prior to the start of the meeting so everyone decamped to the street outside. False alarm! New Green Party co-oped member Cllr. Clare Turner from Blockley Ward over in Costswold District, g...

I have to apologise for not hitting the 'e-mail send' button recently! A quick recap recent posts:- Affordable Houses on Bradley/Gloucester Street Work is well underway now. There was a 'Meet the Contractor’ event, the other week, at Wotton Baptist Church. As SDC don't actually build houses themselves I thought I'd share some of the detail I've gathered. SDC Councillors' report - March 2025 Lots of activity at SDC with the Council Plan being adopted and budgets set. North Nibley Parish C...

Stinchcombe Parish Council Meeting 12th March 2025 Attended Stinchcombe Parish Council meeting earlier this week along with SDC Cllr Braun and GCC/SDC Cllr Cohen. Here are my personal notes. Normal meeting formalities. Sadly, no members of the public to ask questions or present ideas to the Council. Update on matters arising from previous meeting and minutes agreed. I can't recall any questions on either the District Councillors or County Councillor report. Three planning application...

You may have seen recent press coverage about the government’s plan to reorganise local government. I thought it might help to explain what we know so far, and what it may mean for us in Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley and Stinchcombe ward. This is only a short summary - do contact me if you’d like to discuss it in more detail. In the English Devolution White Paper, published just before Christmas, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government set out a plan to dissol...

Background Info Wotton Town Council owns the freehold of the Old Town toilets. The story dates back to 2015 when the service provided by Veolia, the contractor who cleaned and locked the toilets overnight, would be discontinued. A new company called Ubico was being created later that year who might have been able to deliver a similar service. Costs and arrangements were unclear. Little was done. Veolia service was discontinued in the October and the Town Council caretaker was tasked with loc...

North Nibley Parish Council Meeting 5th March 2025 As always it was pleasure attending the Parish Council meeting last night along with Cllr Braun. Cllr Cohen sent apologies. Here are my personal notes. Cllr Roland Brown was confirmed as the new Chair of the Council. A member of the public presented some good work undertaken seeking funding of and installation (with the involvement of the Cotswold Wardens) of three kissing gates on a local footpath. I didn't catch the precise location...

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. Housing Committee - 4th February Recommend the Draft Council Plan and the accompanying Delivery Plan to ​​​​​​Strategy & Resources Comm...

Following Stroud District Council recently awarding a contract to Speller Metcalfe for the construction of these homes I've been asked lots of questions! There was a 'Meet the Contractor’ event, last week, at Wotton Baptist Church. As SDC don't actually build houses themselves I thought I'd share some of the detail I've gathered. Since space is limited on the site the contractors are having to use smaller machines than normal. The site has recently been stripped. Foundations and service...

Community Services and Licensing Committee - Report The main purpose of the meeting was to support the proposed precept from the PCC. The PCC recommended that the Police and Crime Panel support the Council Tax precept increase of £14 in 2025/2026, giving a Band D Council Tax of £322.08 for 2025/2026, an increase of 4.54%. The maximum he is permitted to levy. The PCC kicked off with an overview of the budget. Wide pressure across all forces. Government hasn't given them full cover for pay rise...

Wotton Town Council Meeting 17th February 2025 I attended a meeting at the Civic Centre on Monday evening along with SDC Cllr. Braun and SDC/GCC Cllr. Cohen. Agenda here. These are my informal notes. Apologies received from Roger Claydon, Paul Jones and Jane Tyler, no declarations of interest, minutes approved. No residents to ask probing questions of the Council. Standing orders rescinded and #19 brought forward for an update on Brown's Piece (Hack Hill). Dominic Driver gave a short...

Stinchcombe Parish Council Meeting 12th February 2025 Again, it was a pleasure to attend Stinchcombe Parish Council meeting last week along with SDC Cllr Braun and GCC/SDC Cllr Cohen. Here are my personal notes. Normal meeting formalities. No parishioners present to speak at the public forum. :( The Chair ran through many of the actions from the previous meeting (which I missed, apologies given). A new format for the minutes makes action points really easy to spot ensuring items don't s...

Summary - Shire Hall A meeting summary and some personal notes authored by Cllr. Gareth Kitchen, SDC. Brief report feeding into the Community Services and Licensing Committee at SDC is here. Webcast of meeting. Agenda packs etc. A few apologies. Space on the panel for a Green Party member. Minutes of the previous meeting approved and no declarations of interest. The main purpose of the meeting was to support the proposed precept from the PCC. The PCC is seeking the full £14 (4.5% i...

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 - 21st January Update on planning changes Due to the Government’s reform of the National Planning Policy Framew...

Wotton Town Council Meeting 20th January 2025 A rolled car on Blackquarries Hill 20th Jan 2025. I attended a packed meeting at the Civic Centre on Monday evening along with SDC Cllr. Braun and SDC Cllr. Cohen. Agenda here. These are my informal notes. The normal formalities. Apologies from two councillors. A Cllr. declared an interest relating to the KLB grant application 8c. Previous minutes were approved. In the public forum a spokesperson for the Heritage Centre, advised that they ...

Great news. Plans have finally been produced for the installation of electric vehicle charge-points in Potters Pond car park, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire. There maybe some minor disruption at the beginning of March when they will be installed. These chargers have been a long time coming. It was originally hoped that the Geckos could have been installed in the Chipping Car Park. However, due to various factors locating them, including proximity to trees, electricity sources and tren...

Zuckerberg is now urging Trump to stop the EU from fining US companies. The tech bro billionaire, like Elon Musk before him, wants to spread divisive harm, misinformation and AI slop with no responsibility whatsoever. No doubt other US tech corporations will follow, demanding more and more outrageous immunities. I firmly believe countries like the UK need to start properly protecting their citizens. Yet each and every UK govt. department, council, institution and political party embrace an...

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 - 3rd December Land at M5 Junction 13 west of Stonehouse (New FGR Site) - S.23/1484/REM Reserved matters (layou...

As a follow-up to the Fears Gloucestershire councils shake-up will be ‘just like Brexit’ article here are some personal thoughts. I can't help thinking this post will get me into trouble! Hey ho. Read the Gloucester news centre article first. It'll set the scene. Thanks to Barbara Lawrence for posting it on Facebook and bringing it to my attention. https://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk/fears-gloucestershire-councils-shake-up-will-be-just-like-brexit Make no mistake, I think Westminster's de...

Wotton Town Council Meeting 16th December 2024 I attended the Civic Centre on Monday evening along with SDC Cllr Braun. Here are my informal notes. At the Council meeting there was a minutes silence for Sir David McMurtry. Apologies received from the Mayor and SDC Cllr Cohen. The Chair thanked Eve Coy, who has recently resigned from the Council, for all her hard work. Just one member of the public at the forum, a representative from Christmas under the Edge. They gave a brief update o...

UTEA Smashes Stroud Funding Target UTEA's old lighting system was failing and needed replacing. The group worked out what money they needed and set-up a project on the new crowdfunding platform for Stroud district (called Stroud Funding) which is run in partnership with the company, Spacehive. Spacehive provided a bit of help which enabled the project to be shared far and wide to raise the funds. Lots of people shared the project and that helped boost local support. The target wa...

Stinchcombe Parish Council Meeting 12th December 2024 Again, it was a pleasure to attend Stinchcombe Parish Council meeting earlier this week along with SDC Cllr Braun and GCC Cllr Cohen. Here are my personal notes. The meeting had started early so councillors could go through budgets. :) Normal meeting formalities. Then maybe for the first time there were were no parishioners present to speak at the public forum. :( There were few items in the GCC and SDC reports that directly impacted...

Stinchcombe Parish Council - Meet & Greet 5th December 2024 It was a pleasure to attend the Stinchcombe Parish Council Meet and Greet on Thursday night along with SDC Cllr Braun. The venue was packed and it really was great to see so many parishioners, volunteers and councillors there. The purpose of the event was to inform the community about what is being done and, I suppose, what's possible for the community to achieve. One of the big projects, driven by a group of passionate you...

North Nibley Parish Council Meeting 4th December 2024 As always it was pleasure attending the Parish Council meeting last night along with Cllr Braun & Cllr Cohen. Here are my personal notes. Cllr Brown was stand in Chair tonight as few apologies but still quorate so the meeting proceeded with the normal formalities. The Council is still looking to co-opt members but no applications have been received. Three members of the public were present to discuss issues of importance. The item...

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. Audit and Standards Committee - 19th November Reviewed Treasury Reports paying attention to the ratings for Environmental, Social and Governanc...

Wotton Town Council Meeting 18th November 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. Before the meeting there was talk of the gargantuan size of Council agenda packs. This months WTC pack weights in at 273 pages. A Cllr. is gobsmacked that these are still being printed out. I didn't pipe up that my last SDC Audit and Standards pack was close to 400 pages, but sent electronically. There ha...

Wotton Ward Walk 13th November 2024 A beautiful day to show the Stroud District Council Strategic Leadership Team around Wotton Ward with fellow district councillors Linda Cohen and Catherine Braun. I took some notes. We met up in the Civic Centre car park and started off looking at the new SDC council housing site between Bradley Street & Gloucester Street take a look at the demolished buildings and discuss timescale for redevelopment which will be starting before the end of the financ...

Stinchcombe Parish Council Meeting 13th November 2024 It was a pleasure to attend the Stinchcombe Parish Council meeting last Wednesday night along with SDC Cllr Braun and GCC/SDC Cllr Cohen. Here are some of my personal notes. Just one member of the parish came to the public forum so that they could respond to any questions about their planning application which the council were considering. The agenda item was moved forward. A quick few questions on the application and the Chair said ...

North Nibley Parish Council Meeting 6th November 2024 Again it was a pleasure to attend fast moving and professional Parish Council meeting last night along with Cllr Braun and Cllr Cohen. I took some informal notes. No members of the public present this time. A brisk run through the 'Action Tracker'. A list is maintained of all actions which are properly managed ensuring that prior tasks don't slip through the cracks. :) Minutes approved. The council is still on the look out for peopl...

Summary - Shire Hall A meeting summary and some 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, minutes of the previous meeting approved and no declarations of interest. Chief Executive Report The report centred on recent events involving the suspension of the Chief Co...

Bolster Wotton Meeting 30th October 2024 Following a meet up with the three other local District councilors I went to a well attended meeting for Bolster Wotton last Wednesday evening at the Chipping Hall along with Cllr Braun and Cllr Cohen. I took some informal notes. Christmas under the Edge The meeting kicked off with an overview of Christmas under the Edge outdoor event scheduled for 7th December, 4pm-8pm in the town centre. Bookings are now being taken for stalls. To book please ...

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 - 10th Oct SDC to enter into a Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit Partnership Collaboration Agreement betwe...

Wotton Town Council Meeting 21st October 2024 I attended a meeting of Wotton Town Council meeting on Monday along with SDC Cllr Cohen and SDC Cllr Braun, I took some informal notes but I've had trouble checking detail as we didn't receive backing papers this month. :( Before the meeting a couple of people gave me a very hard time about a shopkeeper/business who is parking selfishly on the High Street assisted by a Facebook group. Traffic Wardens have been in the town every other day it s...

Background February 2015 The project gets its first public announcement. 10 homes, 100 car park spaces. March 2016 Public consultation at Wotton Civic Centre (96 spaces). Planning Oct 2017 Planning application for the construction of 12 homes, access road and car park for 80 cars and 2 coaches. S.17/2307/FUL for the houses and car park Town Council - Oppose Permitted August 2019 July 2019 Section 106 signed Clearly states that three of the twelve homes to be affordable units Cle...

Stinchcombe Parish Council Meeting 9th October 2024 Again, it was a pleasure to attend Stinchcombe Parish Council meeting last night along with SDC Cllr Braun. Here are my personal notes. There was an update on actions from the previous meeting. Some discussion of first aid training to complement the defibrillators. A member of the public was able to speak at the public forum to raise the work of Stinchcombe Speed Watch relating to the levels of speeding on the lower part of Taits Hil...

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. Cllr Linda Cohen is running an initiative with a number of libraries in October  for Greener Libraries week (including Wotton) which will encourage children to think about the impact of litter on environment and will involve s...

North Nibley Parish Council Meeting 2nd October 2024 It was a pleasure attending the Parish Council meeting last night along with Cllr Braun. Here are my personal notes. One member of the public present. They were very concerned about the speed of traffic coming into the town from Dursley. Since the laurel trees have been cut back it seems to have made the problem worse. There was also concern about the speed of traffic by the school. The road is quite narrow by the church. They sugge...

County Councillor Report – 30th 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...

The 2024 Perception of Crime survey from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner in Gloucestershire is now live and will run until the end of October. To take part in this survey you must be aged 16 or over. Please follow the instructions for each question carefully. Everything you tell us will be treated in the strictest confidence – we definitely won’t pass your details on to anyone else. The survey will take will take about 5 to 10 minutes to complete. https://www.ibyd.com/glosop...

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 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...

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 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 - 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...

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...

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 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 – 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...

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 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 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...

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 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...

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 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 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. ...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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 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,...

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 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...

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. ...

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 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...

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 ...

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 ...

County Councillor Report –3rd June 2024 Prepared by County Cllr Linda Cohen 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 and Waste Disposal (not co...

Tactical voting is a scourge on our democracy Voting tactically inevitably entrenches the failed two party system that most people are in despair of. It is a damning indictment of an electoral system that inspires the creation of websites whose purpose is to make voters change their behaviour to work around the system's own failings. But, if you pause for thought, you'll realise that Labour has had a 20%+ lead in the polls for at least two years and will inevitably win the next election, come...

Stroud District Green Party Parliamentary Candidates confirmed 🗳️ The Green Party general election candidates for the constituencies in Stroud district have now been confirmed: 🟢 Pete Kennedy for Stroud constituency (which will now include Wotton and North Nibley following boundary changes) 🟢 Chloe Turner for North Cotswolds constituency 🟢 Bob Eastoe for South Cotswolds constituency(which covers Kingswood, Hillesley, Tresham and Alderley following boundary changes) If you’re planning to vot...

Exciting Green News Some very exciting Green news! Last night, at the AGM, I was elected to serve on the Audit and Standards Committee at Stroud District Council. This committee ensures good quality corporate governance. Also, I'll be serving on the Gloucestershire Police and Crime Panel which maintains a check and balance on the performance of the Police and Crime Commissioner. This panel is under a duty to support, as well as challenge, the commissioner. ...

Pre-Application Planning Advice I've already had some casework on planning issues. But, sadly the cases were too far advanced for me to offer any practical help. Whenever people have approached me about planning in the past, I have always advised them to make contact with SDC and talk through their requirements in advance. I have now learnt that SDC formally offer pre-application advice as an optional service. The service is offered before full planning permission and allows you to unders...

Wotton Town Council Annual Meeting 20th May 2024 It was a pleasure to attend the Wotton Town Council Annual meeting last night and I took some informal notes. A number of new faces but not able to talk due to the format of the meeting. Paul Smith and Roger Clayton became Mayor and Deputy respectively and David (I didn't catch his surname) was co-opted. Much of the business was dealing with the formalities for the coming civic year, councillor allocations to committees etc. As the Cou...

IMPORTANT UPDATE from Highways M5 junctions 13 to 15 – weeknight closures for resurfacing Monday 3 to Friday 28 June We’ll soon be carrying out resurfacing and improvements on the M5 southbound between junction 13 (Stroudwater Interchange) and junction 15 (M4 / Almondsbury Interchange). This will maintain safety and improve the journey for road users. Closure information There will be lane closures on the southbound M5 between junction 13 and junction 15 weeknights from Monday 3 to Frida...

Stroud District Councillors’ Report – May 2024 Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley & Stinchcombe Stroud District Council and Committee papers Recordings of meetings Elections Elections were held on Thursday 2nd May for Stroud District Council, the Police & Crime Commission for Gloucestershire and for the seven parish and town council wards which were contested (due to more candidates being nominated than places on the council). The election results for Stroud District Council: 22 G...

Stroud District Foodbank's latest centre coming soon to Wotton at The Keepers Community Hub in Wotton! Starting Wednesday 15th May 10-12am and continuing weekly thereafter. Offering emergency food and essentials to those in need, along with invaluable support and advice. ...

Extensive work: Chipping & Town Halls Crikey. £1m+ of work required on the Chipping & Town Halls. The report identified significant degradation of parts of the Town Hall as well as repairs and maintenance needed for both buildings. The estimated total costs over the 10-year period including allowing for professional fees and contingencies were Town Hall - £580k, and Chipping Hall - £450k. Building consultants from Carter Jonas gave a presentation on their building surveys of the To...

Today UK Govt. has announced that protest groups such as Just Stop Oil and Palestine Action could be banned in a similar way to other terrorist organisations. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2qv7425gvwo If you are involved in grassroots activism you may well be in contact with representatives and activists from such organisations. Both Signal and WhatsApp offer end-to-end encryption but WhatsApp, however, additionally collects the information from your profile; your photo, who is talking...

Secret plans to merge Cheltenham and Gloucester Many questions! "There are secret plans to "merge Cheltenham and Gloucester" while creating new garden towns across the county to build 142,400 new homes by 2051." https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/secret-plans-merge-gloucester-cheltenham-9276608 ...

Green Party Bio In my 'bio' on the Green Party website, before I was elected, I said Many of the societal problems we see today are rooted in business practices of tax avoiding American internet conglomerates and their intrusive surveillance advertising practices. So, it is with this in mind, my Councillor Facebook page will be merely a pointer to my publicly accessible Blog (which you are reading right now). Many of the people I speak to, in the community, dislike Facebook, Twitter (X ...

County Councillor Report –7th May 2024 Prepared by County Cllr Linda Cohen 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 and Waste Disposal (not collectio...

Official result. Wotton ward. Wotton now has two Green Party Councillors, Catherine and Gareth - hooray! Catherine and Linda got in comfortably - but Gareth only won by 2 votes! There was a recount. After it Gareth finished with 743 votes and the Lib Dem rival 740 votes. Wow! ...

Wotton Pride banner stolen Police have issued an alert after a pride banner was stolen in Wotton. https://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/24308475.police-alert-wotton-pride-flag-stolen/ ...

Stroud Elections Focus: Green Party Catherine Braun has been the leader of Green Party at Stroud District Council since she was successfully elected in 2021 and stepped into the role as Leader of Stroud District Council in 2022, after a series of resignations of Labour councillors made the Green Party the biggest within the alliance. https://amplifystroud.com/2024-04-stroud-elections-focus-the-green-party/ ...

I've been asked a few times about the printed material we have been using for our local campaign. Stroud District Green Party is using the services of a company called Leafletfrog because they have excellent eco-credentials. https://www.leafletfrog.co.uk/pages/sustainable-printing ...

All candidates in the Wotton Ward I felt I had to send an e-mail around to all the candidates standing for election in the Wotton Ward on Thursday, copied to Wotton-Under-Edge Town Council after a meeting last night. All candidates in the Wotton Ward & Glos PCC candidates, It was good to see a number of you at the packed public meeting in Wotton Civic Centre last night. A number of very important topics, to the town, were discussed. There was potential for the meeting to get out of han...

Bio: Gareth Kitchen The kids say my bio is so me! Gareth is well known in Wotton-under-Edge as the owner of Cookability. This job brings him into daily contact with the community and keeps him connected and informed about local issues. He served on Wotton Town Council for three years in the early 2000s and feels that he can draw on that experience in the role of district councillor. “I want our community and high street to embrace the changes that will be needed as the world moves to ‘ne...

Women in power in local politics. Has to be #Stroud, doesn't it? https://stroudtimes.com/women-in-power-in-local-politics ...

Symn Lane Car Park. The developers attempt to remove 12 parking spaces from the new car park rumbles on. A deeply cynical move, the developers now suggest, despite prior refusals, that there is no feasible or viable engineering solution to provide these spaces. It is cynicism exemplified to suggest delivering these spaces would have significant health and safety implications! As can clearly be seen in the photo, no such excuses were made when building the hugely expensive houses on this sa...

Stroud District Green Party Manifesto LE2024 Very proud to be standing on this Stroud District Green Party manifesto - a vision of hope for the district. This browser does not support PDFs. Please download the PDF to view it: Download PDF. ...

Stroud’s history of dissent is rich, wide and long. In the nineteenth century rioting Chartists on Rodborough common were reported in newspapers and the Whiteway Colony was formed. In the twentieth century, Quakers and adherents of Rudolf Steiner were significant presences in the town. In 1976 the campaign against the Ring Road [SCAR] won a public enquiry, the inspector finding that the proposed Ring Road would be ‘an environmental disaster’. In 1977 an application to demolish and redevelop ...

It's official. Three candidates from each of the four main parties. Each voter has three votes! Wotton Town Council is uncontested. ...

Green Party Councillors - The numbers This is a very powerful graphic. Where there is choice it dispels doubt. It re-enforces Green policy and shows direction of travel. The Green Party should use it more for the local elections on May 2nd imho. ...

Fascist Free Stroud Meeting A phenomenal turn out today at the trinity rooms to discuss how we, as a community can work together to make our town safe from the creeping fascist agenda. Meticulously planned by hardworking and talented people from The RYSE, CSSD, Stroud District Together with Refugees and of course SAR. We will make sure to share some of the outcomes from the meeting once we have all had time to go through the notes. A fabulous way to ensure we all enjoy a Fascist Free Strou...

Stroud Nazi Meetings From the organisers of the community response:- On Monday 25th the Nazi meeting organisers emailed their mailing list to say that they have cancelled the event. Clearly, this is a win. Thank you to everyone who stood up to reject Nazism, including the 415 who signed our open letter. But the danger of the far right hasn’t gone away. This is not an isolated incident. We are going ahead with a public meeting this Saturday 30th March at 3pm in the Trinity Rooms (opposite t...

Validity of Nomination My decision last year to try and do something positive in the community is coming into sharper focus and beginning to feel much more real. On a positive note I've got further than Lawrence Fox in the electoral process.... ...

Stroud Nazi Meetings IMPORTANT SEE UPDATE POST. I'm absolutely appalled to discover that there are Nazi meetings are being organised in Stroud towards the end of April. One meeting will celebrate Hitler’s birthday, but if that isn’t bold enough, the other meeting will promote the Protocols Of the Elders of Zion - a fraudulent document from 1903 used by the Nazis and still being used today to incite antisemitism. This is not satire, this is a nightmare reality. It is shocking and unacceptab...

Police 'real-estate' collaboration Scant detail at the Police & Crime Scrutiny meeting at GCC, 23rd March, but it looks crime has increased in Wotton-under-Edge since April 2023 with an average of 36 crimes a month. A 76% increase from the 2019 baseline but within levels to be expected for a town like ours, apparently. It seems that the Police are looking at sharing 'real-estate' and collaboration at the Fire Station. Given that the last time I checked the 999 response time to Wotton wa...

PEEL Assessment Gloucestershire Constabulary's PEEL Assessment published last week seems less than good. I have concerns about the performance of Gloucestershire Constabulary in keeping people safe, reducing crime and providing victims with an effective service. In particular, I have serious concerns about how it responds to the public. His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams ...

Bolster Wotton Went along to the Bolster Wotton business meeting last night. With over 50 people present, it was standing room only! Lots of talk about prioritisation around potential next steps to generate footfall in the town. Interesting to hear from Laura from The Growth Hub - Stroud about the the support they can offer SMEs. Also, an update from the Town Council on the problems with the new car park that are preventing its adoption. The event was organised by Stroud and District Cham...

Proud to be an extremist Gove just doesn't get (or maybe he does) that more and more of the population, be it individuals or grassroot organisations, actually want to challenge and undermine Westminster, its inherent corruption and the vile the prejudice it seems to endorse. People are vexed with our two main political parties, our politicians, the archaic and inequitable union and our unrepresentative voting system. People want to see some institutions abolished and others transformed, not p...

Our Local Enterprise Partnership, GFirstLEP, is finally being disbanded. I wish they had spent as much effort developing their Industrial Strategy (which has been in draft form since 2019) as they have put into their "final hurrah" knees-up for 200 local dignitaries. The LEP been a total failure for small and medium sized businesses in the county from day one. Unelected, yet overseeing £500m+. of investment in the county. Their draft Industrial Strategy encompassed just about every possible...

Wotton 84/85 Bus Route Credit has to go to Barbara Lawrence (in the foreground, holding the sign) and her 'team' for this local rebellion! Removing this bus service will cause undue hardship and isolation for the residents of Wotton, Charfield, Hawkesbury Upton, Wickwar and Yate. This is an essential service. ...

Holocaust Memorial Day StroudTimes coverage of the Holocaust Memorial Day - Stroud ceremony hosted by Community Solidarity Stroud District 28th Jan. https://stroudtimes.com/pictures-and-video-stroud-marks-holocaust-memorial-day/ ...

Stroud Against Racism AGM Attended Stroud against racism annual general meeting last month. We went over what the group has done over the last year and what the plans are for the next eighteen months. Held in the Curio Lounge (a relaxed venue a bit like SAR's stock photo!). We officially elected in chair, co-chair, treasurer, secretary and one member at large. I take particular interest in Police accountability and we discussed how we take forward the group's issue with the Constabulary's s...

Iconic Photograph Who's this chap looking for an 'iconic' photo opportunity in Wotton? He came to the right place. But, as we're running for different parties in May we decided that a joint photo-op probably wouldn't be the best of ideas. We wished each other good luck instead. lol.😀 ...

Real change Real change is on the ballot paper at the next election. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Join us: https://greenparty.org.uk/join ...

Retail Crime - Rural Market Towns As I shopkeeper in Wotton I think I approve, but I also have considerable experience dealing with the fallout when this sort of thing goes horribly wrong.... There has been a noticeable increase in retail theft in recent times, cost of living and all and it affects the viability of smaller shops. It's interesting to note that the retail crime plan, to tackle this sort of thing, has recently been removed from the Police and Crime Commissioner's web site. ...

Leafleting: Local Elections May '24 Out delivering local Stroud District Green Party newsletters this morning to the houses around Chestnut Drive and Symn Lane in Wotton. ...

SDC refuses the name 'Haw Park' SDC refuses to name the new development off Symn Lane 'Haw Park' as resolved by our Town Council. A hat tip to the hard working local town councillors who must have researched this. Haw Park appears to be an area in the parish dating back the time of Henry VIII but has fallen out of use in recent times. The new development is located close to Haw Street and will overlook Haw Park Farm in the valley bottom. Haw Park is, therefore, a really good naming choic...