BROUGHT up by a single parent, invalided out of the military, married twice, a former biker and a house husband, Peter Amos could build a case for understanding the complexities of society.

Born in the heart of Newcastle, his father ran off with another woman "from the village" when he was five.

"I never knew my father – I finally tracked him down a year after he died. I was brought up by my mum, a single parent family really."

His mother, along with his sister, tried following his father and ended up in South London. At one point they were all living yards from 1 Geneva Road, Brixton, the first house bought by a Jamaican to house immigrants arriving on the SS Empire Windrush in 1948.

"The house", says Amos, "Would have been full to bursting point, because no landladies would rent to 'blacks'."

Joining the Royal Marines in 1972, Corporal Amos served on HMS Fearless during the Falklands Conflict, going from San Carlos Water to Port Stanley in 1992.

"It was a commando carrier, carrying almost a complete commando unit. But mainly it was a command and control unit for the amphibious landings."

After 1992, Amos was invalided out of the Marines on a war pension.

At that point, Alison, his second wife who was a GP in South Wales, decided she wanted to go into the services. She became a medic with the Royal Air Force and was posted to Germany.

"I went with her, and that's when my role as a house husband began."

Unable to find a job on the RAF station, he got a job selling motorcycles.

"I'd ridden motorcycles since an early age (his wife also rides). The last bike I had was the first ZX7 (known by some as the Ninja) into Germany. I stopped because I was riding like crazy."

While in Germany, Peter Amos also pursued his religious interests, becoming an ordinand. On returning to the UK, he went to Oxford to read theology but fell out with the church.

"I wasn't at odds with the theology, but the hypocrisy. The church has got so much money and I just didn't think it should be used for the agrandisement of bishops."

With his wife transferred to a senior medical post in Gloucestershire, they decided to settle in the Forest, buying a house in Broadoak. Becoming councillor for Awre (is it pronounced 'Orr' or 'Arr'?) was the beginning, the rest is now history.

'If I don't cut the ice, they'll get rid of me.'

BULLISH is how you could describe Cllr Peter Amos, the Forest's new council leader, given that he's facing inevitable public service cutbacks and allegations that his Conservative group is at war.

"If I don't achieve what I've said I'll achieve, If I don't cut the ice, they'll get rid of me," says Amos. "That's the way it is and the way it should be."

Cutting the ice means meeting the pledges of the Conservative group's manifesto.

It's a manifesto described as 'flacid and woolly' by critics, but Amos disagrees. He argues there are very clearly defined aims and targets.

"By 2011 I want to have achieved all our manifesto promises. That's what people elected us on."

On Council Tax that means keeping to the lowest possible increases - last year it was 2.5 per cent.

"Of course, if the Conservative's get into power at the next election, they've pledged to refund the 2.5 per cent, which means it'll be a zero rise for us."

For every 1 per cent increase in Council Tax, Amos says his district council gets £45,000, the rest goes to Gloucestershire County Council and the police.

On policing, Amos is lothe to talk openly about the alleged cutbacks on beat officers in the Forest. He says there's now a new Chief Constable in charge, talks will happen.

But, he is happy to confirm that: "We will look to roll-out the last of the Forest's alcohol free zones before Christmas."

On road safety, he's also keen to promise that there will be action on concerns about safety on the A48.

"There will be a new initiative. I have asked for work to be done on road safety on the A48. Something will be rolled out in November."

The future of the Dilke and Lydney hospitals are of inevitable concern.

"Of course," says Amos, "the hospitals are down to the Primary Care Trust and it's got to cut its coat according to funds and they way they see fit. But there is a really strong case to retain what we've got and we will continue to fight to support the services and be on our guard in case something happens. Watch this space."

Turning to housing.

"We've got an annual target of building 60 affordable homes a year, that's our government target. But we don't build houses. We facilitate the building of them. As a district council we have a starting off negotiating point with developers to require 40 per cent of the development to be affordable. That means a Registered Social Landlord (like Two Rivers) can come in and buy them off a developer at a subsidised market price."

But, in the current climate, developers are increasingly appealing against the targets for affordable housing – as with Lydney East (see page1).

Again, if the Conservatives win in 2010, they've promised to abolish government house building targets, something Amos agrees with.

"We do have another role in housing, because we've been allocated a significant sum £1.45m for delivery of affordable houses, via a Homes and Community Agency fund which gives a subsidy per property. That's important, but the way things are at the moment, it is difficult to deliver sites."

On public accountability and democracy, Amos is blunt.

Accusations that the Conservative group have been in disarray after previous leader, Cllr Marion Winship was forced out of office are brushed aside.

"I'm disinclined to air our dirty washing in public. There were tensions and what these tensions were should stay with the group. But everyone is now happy to pile in and work together."

On increasing the Cabinet from five to six, plus Leader, he is unapologetic.

"We've got Local Strategic Partnership funding of £2.6m available for the community, but nobody was solely responsible for it. It was split out into little bits and in my opinion we should a full cabinet member to bring everything together. Public money is involved here and we need to make sure that we wring every last ounce out for the good of the community."

And on allowing a half hour of public questions at Cabinet meetings, he is equally unapologetic.

"I wanted it in October, but was advised by the legal department that protocol has to be observed. I don't care what happens, I want it in November. I was asked, 'what about councillors?' well, no – councillors know the system. This is about the community asking the big questions and getting the answers. What this is about is making the furthest corners of this council accessible to the community."