At the time of writing we have just passed our budget for the next financial year. Although there have been changes in personnel, the present administration has held power since 2004 and it was interesting to reflect on some of the changes since then.

In 2004, recycling rates were at 4% and last year rose as high as 47% at one stage. In 2006, there were 35 children’s play areas in the city, but now the total, including the multi-use games areas, is 80, when those in the planning or building stage are delivered.

The very skyline of Gloucester has changed with the regeneration that has taken place – the new bus station, Project Pilgrim at the Cathedral, and The Quays are some obvious examples. But more is to come, including the redevelopment of Kings Square, which is already underway, along with redevelopment of the wider Kings Quarter, further construction in the Barbican of student accommodation, the hoped for evolution of the former Council offices at Herbert, Philpott and Kimberley warehouses into a new hotel and many others.

Naturally it is not plain sailing. It’s funny that one of the first things I said to the Council’s Managing Director, after becoming Leader, was: “Keep this ship sailing smoothly and avoid the rapids.” There are always rapids. But efforts continue to make improvements.

Delivering almost 12,000 trees into the city

One of the improvements I announced was to give all Councillors a tree budget. This budget of 300 trees per councillor to be planted in their ward, will deliver almost 12,000 trees into the city – a massive and demonstrable commitment to our climate change mitigation efforts.

We also give all Councillors a small fund – normally £1,000 – which they can use within their ward to help local organisations. In my ward I gave some of my fund to the Kingsway Wildlife and Sustainability Group so that they could use it to build a store for items they use for their Wild Tots activity – a group where parents bring their under five-year-olds to outdoor play activity in the Kingsway Orchard. If you know a group within your area which could benefit from some funding, contact your local councillor.