It was lovely to chat to so many people last month at my first surgery at the library. Also, thanks to all the Prestbury residents who have contacted me over the last month, or stopped me on the footpath. It’s great that so many people care about the community and can be bothered to try to fix things.
Many people are concerned about traffic problems such as speeding, inconsiderate parking and air quality. Uneven pavements and impassable footpaths are also hot topics. I have arranged to meet up with County Councillor Stephan Fifield to discuss what can be done to improve traffic related problems.
Although Prestbury has a rural village atmosphere, we share some of the same problems as more urban wards, such as litter, fly-tipping and graffiti. I was shocked to find a heavy duty bag of rubbish concealed among weeds on Priors Road and sad to have to report graffiti in a different location in Prestbury.
We tend to blame litter on the anti-social few. However, the Green Councillors had a really interesting meeting with the Environmental Partnerships manager recently and learned that some litter is simply caused by thoughtlessness – like not folding cardboard to fit properly into the blue bags so that it then won’t fit into the unit on the lorry, or overfilling the recycling box. A household may have up to four green boxes, so if you need more you can phone 01242 262626 or email cleansing@cheltenham.gov.uk.
On a positive note, homeowners might like to check out the Future Fit Homes project to get expert advice on how to lower their energy bills by making their home ‘future fit’. Information is at Planet Cheltenham.
I will be holding surgeries at the library on the third Saturday of the month. Even if you have no pressing concerns, feel free to come and say ‘Hello’!
Kind regards,
Jan Foster,
Green Councillor for Prestbury.