Another busy week - meetings, emails and more

I am still getting to grips with this Council stuff - not quite so many meetings - the health consultation, a couple of meetings with officers and a whole morning visiting sites where there are planning applications - a very interesting process that allows councillors to really understand much more clearly the impact of a proposed development.

Other meetings include the Ruscombe Brook conference (see 21st June Blog for details) and a planning meeting by the Ruscombe Brook Action Group committee for the picnic on 23rd July (see 9th June Blog for details).

The challenge as I've noted before is to concentrate time on the meetings where change is really possible and not just a talking shop - I am still open to seeing where it is most useful to put my time - but it is clear that some groups like for example the Ruscombe Brook are really making a difference.

Similarly I know I am not the first to question our email culture - I get an average of 80 to 90 emails a day - are they really all necessary? Certainly it is great to be kept informed about many aspects and I certainly have interest in many areas but when you get that number you start to question whether it is the most effective way to work....

The mail has also increased since being a councillor - several inches thick of post each week - can we really read all that? I am trying - but again it is about seeing where to be most effective and to know how to read key documents to pick out the crucial bits - I'm learning - for example what seemed like complicated planning applications are now starting to make sense.

As you will see from the Blog this last week several other issues are being pursued and I've had several calls from residents about particular issues.

The week has also seen me involved with many wider issues - a glance at this weeks' local Green party news releases and letters give a flavour - they include French cheese at risk from GM pharmaceuticals, the dreadful Stonehouse 'teen repellant', an ex-Labour party agent joining the Green party, a report we sent to all County councillors with concerns re the Severn Barrage, the Mayor of Hiroshima meeting the Mayor of Stroud, the huge waste of money on Trident and more.