Party members, supporters and volunteers met at the iconic Speech House on 8 July to toast the stunning Tiverton and Honiton by-election victory... And, unexpectedly, to bid farewell to the outgoing prime minister.

Can you spare a couple of hours every once in a while to help us get the message out locally? If so please contact Vilnis Vesma

The District Council declared a climate emergency in 2018 and has pledged to reach net zero by 2030. But although they are able to calculate their carbon dioxode emissions, it has taken them until recently to get the figures right. They have belatedly recognised that emissions from their domestic waste disposal fleet accounts for over half the total (something I told them was likely to be the case soon after I was first elected).

I have been working with Newent's business community to help keep the town centre viable, for example by brokering the handover of the dormant business club, along with its financial assets, to a new committee representing enthusiastic proprietors of shops and other walk-in businesses.

Last week, on behalf of Newent's new business club committee, I filed an expression of interest under the so-called 'UK Shared Prosperity Fund'. If our bid is successful we will get £17,500 to carry out a feasibility study and prepare sketch designs for revamping the main car park (pictured). The car park, which is owned and operated by the Forest of Dean District Council, is not only awkwardly laid out and unattractive but is screened from the charming lakeside park by a row of waste recycling containers. It should be possible to revise the car-park layout and blend it with the lakeside park to make it an attractive landing point for visitors and local shoppers alike. In the process we could creating an adaptable civic space that could host occasional markets, pop-up food and beverage vendors and other facilities or activities that would enhance the town.

Each Gloucestershire County Councillor is allocated two pots of funding during their four-year term of office. County divisions can be widespread or concentrated areas and can include a number of parishes or a single town, and so consideration needs to be given to a fair distribution of funds within each division. There are eight divisions in the Forest of Dean District.