After considerable reflection over the last few weeks, I notified my party leader last week that I've decided to step back from my committee roles on Audit and Standards and the Police and Crime Panel for Stroud District Council (SDC) at this time.

This was not a decision taken lightly, especially as just last month I was unanimously voted to serve again on the Police & Crime Panel by my peers. However, recent events have led me to conclude that the current environment for scrutinising and challenging the Constabulary through the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) is not conducive to the kind of transparent accountability I believe is necessary.

How We Got Here The sequence of events began back in March with a report I wrote regarding a Police & Crime Panel meeting. The OPCC complained about my reporting style following that public meeting. The complaint was referred to Gloucestershire County Council's Monitoring Officer (GCC MO).

The matter was handled fairly. I met with the GCC MO in person. We discussed the context, and I committed to tightening my reporting style in the future. The SDC MO confirmed they had nothing further to add. I understood the matter to be resolved with no further action. I was just doing my job; I'd moved on.

[I've removed this bit of my report following resolution at SDC]

The Principle The original OPCC complaint concerned my grammar and reporting style. It was, by any measure, a minor matter.

[I've removed this bit of my report following resolution at SDC]

Moving Forward I have also needed to consider my recent health issues, including a heart attack, and I must be mindful of how I direct my energy. The stress of navigating these kinds of procedural disputes (and this isn't the first such instance) is something I need to avoid.

My focus now has to shift to where I believe I can be most effective. I will continue directly serving the residents of Wotton, North Nibley, and Stinchcombe through casework and attending full council meetings for the rest of my term (cllr.gareth.kitchen@stroud.gov.uk or +44 7396 840710). I remain fully committed to that role and to my other volunteer work, which I enjoy. I may revisit my involvement in committee work in the future if the environment changes, but for now, this is the right decision for me.

I thank my colleagues for their support and understanding.

Cllr Gareth Kitchen Wotton, North Nibley and Stinchcombe #GreenParty

Some very exciting Green news! Last night, at the AGM, I was elected to serve on the Audit and Standards Committee at Stroud District Council. This committee ensures good quality corporate governance.

Also, I'll be serving on the Gloucestershire Police and Crime Panel which maintains a check and balance on the performance of the Police and Crime Commissioner. This panel is under a duty to support, as well as challenge, the commissioner. #GreenParty

Gareth is well known in Wotton-under-Edge as the owner of Cookability. This job brings him into daily contact with the community and keeps him connected and informed about local issues.

He served on Wotton Town Council for three years in the early 2000s and feels that he can draw on that experience in the role of district councillor.

“I want our community and high street to embrace the changes that will be needed as the world moves to ‘net zero’ and I feel that I can help shape that future,” he says.

He would particularly like to encourage the council to publish more data about the economic health of the district’s towns. “Getting this data into the hands of local residents, businesses and entrepreneurs means that they could identify and take advantage of new opportunities. This simple, cost-effective change would nurture new localised economic growth, possibly in novel and unexpected ways.”

Originally from rural south Wales, Gareth moved to Wotton in 2001 and was later attracted to Stroud because of what he calls its “notoriety as a hotbed of political activism”. He is an active volunteer with Stroud Against Racism, and has been involved with scrutiny at Gloucestershire Constabulary, where he has excellent working relationships with senior officers.

“I’m well known for, and comfortable about, holding authority to account with quite dogged determination,” he says.

He is a strong supporter of proportional representation in elections, because the present system favours the main parties. “It’s just not right that Gloucestershire’s six MPs are all Conservative and white – and will quite probably be all male after the general election.”

He believes that much more decision-making power needs to be devolved down to the local level from Westminster, and is a supporter of Yes Cymru, the campaign for an independent Wales.

He joined the Green Party because of its ethos advocating an economy rooted in sustainability and pursuit of social progress rather than economic growth above all else.

Before moving into retail, Gareth worked in IT and still enjoys working with computers. He is an advocate of open-sourced software, believing it offers users more privacy. “Many of the societal problems we see today are rooted in business practices of tax avoiding American internet conglomerates and their intrusive surveillance advertising practices.” he says.

His hobbies include cooking and DIY. He is a long time Forest Green Rovers supporter and both his children were FGR ambassadors. #GreenParty

This is a very powerful graphic. Where there is choice it dispels doubt. It re-enforces Green policy and shows direction of travel. The Green Party should use it more for the local elections on May 2nd imho. #GreenParty

My decision last year to try and do something positive in the community is coming into sharper focus and beginning to feel much more real.

On a positive note I've got further than Lawrence Fox in the electoral process.... #GreenParty

Out delivering local Stroud District Green Party newsletters this morning to the houses around Chestnut Drive and Symn Lane in Wotton. #GreenParty