FOLLOWING our recent informal meeting. I write to you formally requesting that you facilitate a District Council supported steering group with a simple mandate – take Lydney forward effectively and with purpose. I don't think that too many local people would deny that Lydney, for whatever reasons has suffered a regeneration- stagnation that has seen the town founder, plenty of mention of local housing developements, but precious little else to enhance Lydney's basic infrastructure.
Peter, in your previous role you will remember my significant concerns pertaining to Lydney regarding the district councils forward plan – these still exist.
Privately funded entrepreneurial initiatives such as F. W. Jacksons' Ltd groundbreaking retail conversion at Regents Yard have attempted to buck the trend, but schemes such as these are few and far between.
I respectfully request that you invite the six district councellors responsible for Lydney to a meeting, with a view to forming a democratically elected, open and transparent team that share a common and united purpose (hopefully) focused on the future of Lydney. Perhaps at an inaugural meeting consideration may be given to inviting the county councillor responsible and two Lydney town council members to any subsequent meetings. However, I do strongly believe no involvement from quasi-quangos or indeed anyone with their own agenda(s) is needed.
Elected councillors already have an improvement mandate or should have. It is an embarrassing standing joke that Lydney Docks, despite its reinvigoration does not possess a public convenience! This is just one example of the object incompetence that Lydney has been blighted with and issues such as this need rectifying and the like prevented from happening again.
As you are aware Cllr James Bevan and Cllr Terry Glastonbury are both supportive of this request. Regards and thanks for your time.
Cllr Alan Preest, Lydney North