Chloe Turner
Chloe Turner was elected in 2021 as county councillor for Minchinhampton and is standing for re-election.
She is also a district councillor for Minchinhampton, a position she was elected to in both 2021 and then again in 2024.
Chloe joined the Green Party as the result of being inspired by Molly Scott Cato’s General Election campaign in 2019, and got involved by helping the then county councillor for Minchinhampton, Rachel Smith, with casework. Chloe found she enjoyed the work and when Rachel stood down Chloe agreed to stand (successfully) to replace her.
She says of her four years in the role: “They have been satisfying, challenging and enjoyable – and sometimes infuriating. The best part has been working with my four Green colleagues at GCC, who all have different strengths and interests.”
Chloe’s professional background is as a chartered accountant, experience she has been able to put to good use in detailed financial scrutiny across the many committees she sits on. “I’ve really enjoyed carrying out deep scrutiny, holding GCC to account on its strategies and commitments, and helping to shape policy and support good governance and decision-making,” she says. “It’s been satisfying to see all the changes I’ve had a part in come to fruition, some of which have a very significant financial impact (all the numbers are huge on the Pension Committee, in particular!).”
She also enjoys detailed research and policy development. Her particular interests include the management of the Council’s rural estate, its leadership role in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, public transport, procurement and social value. “I also enjoy the exercise of the internal and external Audit function, everything related to Pensions, and of course how the Council can ensure it embeds carbon emission reduction across everything it does.”
Chloe chairs the Environment Scrutiny Committee and sits on three other principal committees (Audit & Governance, Pensions, Overview & Scrutiny). She says: “I’ve enjoyed growing in experience as a committee chair, and working with fellow members and with an accomplished, friendly and supportive officer team. I’ve worked hard in my committee roles and have asked many hundreds of scrutiny questions in those settings, as well as over a hundred formal questions of the Council’s leadership at Cabinet/Full Council.”
The achievements that she’s most proud of at GCC were successfully asking, as part of the county’s four-strong Green team, for about £1million-worth of budget amendments. They secured a biodiversity officer, a recycling centre “tip shop”, secure cycle storage, an e-bike hire programme, natural flood management schemes, a citizen science officer, funding for community libraries and free bus travel for veterans.
Chloe also enjoys her work outside of the council. “Working with third-sector organisations across the county on nature recovery, circular economy projects and climate action has been very rewarding. And networking with Greens in other administrations across the country has brought constructive new ideas and best practice to Stroud and Gloucestershire.”
She looks forward to more Greens being elected to the council in May. “Having the first Green on GCC was transformative, and with every incremental jump in numbers, we’ve been able to do more,” she says. “Hopefully we’ll have enough to secure a meaningful representation in the administration, but in any case, Greens in the room bring about change through their dedication, voice of reason, knowledge and respect for others. Every additional member brings extra skills and experience that we can put to use.
“As a bigger team, we’ll be better able to cover the full range of the council’s activity (which is huge) and benefit from a wider variety of skills and experience for constructive scrutiny.”
Chloe’s hobbies include bee-keeping, dressmaking, and travelling around Europe by train with her husband and three children. She also enjoys writing: she has had two fiction books published and is working on a third. She is active in the local climate action group, and in local community events group Minch Life.