Dear Editor,
I’m afraid Stroud local authority debacles which result in firing up the community in strong opposition to the ‘council’ go back a long time.
I certainly remember occasions back to my childhood in the 1960s and 1970s where my parents were incensed by bad decisions.
Often they situations have been insensitively handled by the leaders of the day. Knowing the internal machinations of local government, I have no doubt that Councillor Chloe Turner has been very conscious of the issues with the Lido for some time. Whether they have been properly shared early enough with opposition leaders and the wider public is another matter.
Nevertheless, I think Chloe needs to be strongly commended on providing a much more sympathetic and sensitive approach to seek out other options to move things forward.
The question remains whether there is capacity and willingness within the council’s ’civil service’ to deliver up a much more creative outcome.
This can and should be sorted well before Stroud District is replaced in April 2028. Local Government re-organisation cannot become a sham reason for inaction, there are 24 months left for the outgoing authorities to leave a lasting legacy.
Regards,
Chas Townley
Coopers Edge
Gloucester
