| Robert Weaver will be proposed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Cotswold District Council at a meeting of Full Council next Wednesday (23 September). Mr Weaver is currently Deputy Chief Executive of Tewkesbury Borough Council. |
| The appointment of Chief Executive is made by Full Council following the recommendations of the cross-party Statutory Officer Performance and Appointments Committee. The committee members were unanimous in their decision that, subject to the approval of Council, the post should be offered to Mr Weaver. He will also assume the roles of the Council’s Head of Paid Service, Returning Officer and Electoral Registration Officer.
Councillor Joe Harris, Leader of Cotswold District Council said: “I am delighted to be able to recommend someone of Rob’s calibre to the new post of Chief Executive and I’m particularly pleased that the recommendation from our cross-party appointments panel was unanimous. Rob is a rising star in local government and has experience of both service delivery and setting wider strategy, he’s really impressive. “The new post, replacing the previous head of paid service post, is part of this administration’s manifesto commitment to appoint a Chief Executive. As we prepare for the long term challenges the district faces, be it the climate emergency, tackling the housing affordability crisis or supporting our towns in recovery from Covid -19, we’re very much looking forward to seeing Rob getting stuck in.” Mr Weaver has also worked for Stroud District Council and High Peak & Staffordshire Moorlands District Council – two authorities that have an alliance or shared senior management team. He holds an MSc in Environmental Health for the University of Birmingham and an MBA. |
Corinium Museum Secures Recovery Funding as Visitor Numbers Rebound
Corinium Museum in Cirencester has been awarded a South West Museum Development grant for £2,200 to develop a programme of digital workshops thanks to funding from Art Fund and Arts Council England.
This welcome grant funding will be used to create a range of digital workshops, school sessions, talks and demonstrations in response to the restrictions we currently face owing to Covid-19.
The new socially distanced Corinium Museum has been a huge hit with visitors since reopening in early August.
Museum Director, Amanda Hart, said: “We have been thrilled with the support from the public and visitors to the museum since reopening. Visitor numbers in August were only slightly down on last year, and considering that we are operating with strict social distancing measures in place and have been unable to run our usual programme of events, this really is a fantastic achievement.
“The Corinium Museum, like many organisations, is having to find ways to adapt and change the way we deliver our programmes and this development grant will provide us with the training and equipment to explore new and innovative ways of reaching our audiences.”
Cllr Jenny Forde, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “I’m not surprised that the Museum has had such a high number of visitors since it opened its doors again. It’s one of the ‘must-see’ attractions in Cirencester and the Cotswolds and Amanda and her team’s hard work has meant it’s getting better by the day.
“The shiny new reception, shop and covid-safety measures mean visitors can be confident that the journey through the museum will be as pleasant and safe an experience as possible.”
Councils to Explore Two Council Devolution Deal for Gloucestershire
Three councils in Gloucestershire are taking the first step in exploring a two council devolution deal for the county, which is expected to unlock significant funds to invest in services.
Following the announcement that the Government is expected to release a Devolution and Recovery White Paper in the autumn calling for more unitary councils, combined authorities and Mayors, Cheltenham Borough Council, Cotswold District Council, and Stroud District Council have agreed to start exploring progressive devolution options for Gloucestershire which would see the current seven councils merged into two.
Currently, Gloucestershire County Council provides some services, while district, borough and city councils provide others. Unitary councils bring the delivery of services for one area under one roof.
Cotswold District Council will be the first council to take a paper to Cabinet on 7 September to kick-start the process, and Stroud and Cheltenham councillors are expected to consider a similar proposal very soon after.
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Cotswold District Council Latest Information and Advice
A reminder that Cotswold District Council’s link below provides information on their services, how they are currently affected and what help you can get.
https://www.cotswold.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19-latest-information-and-advice/
Have your say on Cotswold District Council Services
Residents and businesses in the Cotswolds are being urged to give their views on the District Council’s spending plans as it prepares its budget for the next financial year.
The aim is to gather as much feedback as possible on key areas such as the waste service, parking, climate change, leisure, grants and changes to the district’s local plan.
Three events will also be held in towns across the district in a bid to gather as much feedback as possible before a report detailing respondents’ views is prepared for councillors to inform their Budget decisions.
Significantly, the budget is being prepared against a backdrop of continuing cuts in Government funding which have seen core funding fall from £5.9m in 2009 to £2.5m in 2019/20, a drop of 58.4 per cent. Further falls in Government funding are expected for 2021/22.
The council’s survey will also gather views on how the council can raise additional income from investing in local property; to a proposed Council Tax rise of £5 a year for a Band D household. It will also ask for opinions on proposals to raise parking charges and the cost of garden waste collections.
The drop-in events will all take place from 4-7pm at the Town Council offices in Tetbury on 9 January, Cotswold DC’s Area Office in Moreton-in-Marsh on 14 January and the Bingham Gallery in Cirencester on 16 January.
Council officials will also be present in each town earlier in the day to distribute information and gather responses from residents.
Please see this short video on YouTube about the consultation.
For more information on the budget consultation, and to fill out the survey, go to www.cotswold.gov.uk/consultations
Alternatively a printable version of the survey can be found here.
Recent Heavy Rain and Flooding Risk
As you will be aware we have experienced a lot of rainfall over the past few days which has led to some localised flooding and surface water across The Cotswold District. As a consequence there are several lower level flood alerts across the District, one of which lies in our region, namely:
River Leach from Northleach to Mill Lane near Lechlade – Property flooding is not currently expected. River levels are high and out of banks on the River Leach as a result of recent heavy rainfall, especially around Lechlade. Therefore flooding of roads and farmland is expected.
What Cotswold District Council has in place:
Cotswold District Council has a duty officer available 24/7, contactable via pager and telephone, and through a joint emergency helpline facility. That officer has contact details for their own teams who are on standby (e.g. engineering, homelessness, rest centre, communications, etc.) and for other agencies. This will set in motion any necessary communications and/or action dependent upon the nature of the query or emergency. That officer also has details for an emergency response team, in case there is need for any escalation.
Their website provides a range of information, including contact details for the other key agencies:
https://www.cotswold.gov.uk/residents/environment/flooding/
On this web-page you will also find their out of hours contact number – 0151 343 2942 (enquiries to this number relating to the CDC area will be relayed to the duty officer).
The Environment Agency will be actively monitoring water courses to check how they are reacting and looking for blockages that might cause more problems.