Stroud District Council is to ask the government for more funding and resources to protect local people from the health risks of contaminated land.

The decision is the result of a motion by Green councillor Beki Aldam (Brimscombe & Thrupp), which was unanimously passed at the full council meeting on Thursday night (April 25).

She says the council needs more money to fund the principles of the proposed new Zane’s Law, which seeks to reinstate central government funding – removed by the Conservatives – for environmental protections.

Zane’s Law is named after Zane Gbangbola, who died aged seven in 2014 in Surrey, allegedly from toxic gas released from a nearby landfill site during heavy flooding.

Zane’s father, Kye Gbangbola, attended the meeting. Thanking him, Cllr Aldam said: “No family should have to go through what Zane’s family have been through, and these measures, we hope, will be part of Zane’s legacy to ensure that the tragedies of the future never happen. As Zane once said, people think sustainability means looking after your garden, but it’s really about a bigger garden that belongs to everyone.”

Clr Aldam said she was “shocked” to learn that there are 1,700 potentially contaminated sites in Stroud District, some the result of the area’s long history of industrial activity, including the wool and textile industry and the manufacture of dyes.

One is in her own ward: a site in Brimscombe where waste of various kinds has been dumped, damaging the flora and fauna and contaminating a stream that flows into the River Frome.

“It’s unbearable to think of the effect it is having on this once beautiful valley within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and I’ve been continually astonished that no-one has been able to deal with it decisively,” she said.

In her speech to council, Cllr Aldam said councils have a legal duty to manage and monitor contaminated land, to prevent new contamination being caused, and to require clean-up by the responsible polluter. But there is not enough funding for them to do it effectively.

“We need the national government to step up and fund, resource and vocally support this vital work,” she said. “These sites have to be investigated and potential mitigation work has to be carried out to make them safe.”

She calculated that the budget currently available for contaminated site investigations works out at just £1.30 per site for this year. There is also a massive skills gap thanks to a historic lack of funding, which means there is only one specialist Contaminated Land Officer in the whole of Gloucestershire. That officer is based at Stroud District Council, so residents here benefit from more expertise than do residents elsewhere in the county.

Cllr Aldam said the current UK regulations over toxic waste disposal are “dangerously inadequate”, meaning increased risk to human health and the environment. “This is especially so in the face of climate breakdown, with rising sea levels, increased rainfall, and widespread flooding.” 

Stroud District suffers from increasing flooding and unauthorised waste disposal. “The combination of these could put the health of our residents at risk and another tragedy must be averted,” said Cllr Aldam.

Cllr Aldam’s motion also asks the government to support Green Baroness Natalie Bennett in her efforts to advance Zane’s Law through the House of Lords.

Three other councils – Lewes, Brighton and Hove, and Adur – have already backed Zane’s Law.

A petition in support of Zane’s Law, calling for toxic landfills to be made safe, can be signed at: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/make-toxic-landfills-safe-support-zane-s-law

Pictured: Cllr Beki Aldam with Kye Gbangbola and the Green group of councillors at Ebley Mill after Thursday’s meeting. On the right is Cllr Trevor Hall from the Community Independents group, one of the councillors from other parties who voted for the motion.

Stroud District Council’s information about contaminated land

Strategy for the Identification of Contaminated Land 

Development of Potentially Contaminated Land – Guidance for Developers, Consultants and Agents April 2015.

Information and Guidance for Homeowners and Prospective Homebuyers Affected by Potential Land Contamination April 2015 

Public Register of Contaminated Land

Frequently Asked Questions

A Strategy for the Identification of Contaminated Land 

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Green councillors have called for central government funding for more council houses to be built, after the Government asked councils at short notice to commit to providing more houses for migrant families in 2025.

Stroud District Council unanimously agreed at the full council meeting on December 14 to allocate at least two homes for occupation by migrants.

The meeting heard that the council was being put in the difficult position of being told to find housing for migrants despite there already being nearly 4,000 people on the housing waiting list in the district.

Many councillors – across all parties – expressed dissatisfaction with the short timescale of the government demand. The request was received only two weeks before the deadline imposed by the government for responses.

The scheme is supposedly designed to ensure councils do not take more refugees than public services and communities can cope with – but in practice the government will use the aggregate number of pledges as a cap to limit migration. Many councillors felt that the government should be helping councils to build more houses, instead of treating as a cap the number of houses that councils can pledge at this stage.

Cllr Beki Aldam (Brimscombe & Thrupp) told the meeting: “We’re being manipulated to produce ridiculously low figures so they can hold it up as a hard limit.”

She said the language used by the Government – including “cost” and “burden” –  and its recent anti-immigrant legislation were “abominably cruel”.

“This government has still not cleared the backlog of asylum claims and it can take years to process claims. Only 1% of asylum seekers received a decision on their application in the past 12 months. In the meantime, asylum seekers awaiting a decision are not allowed to work and have to survive on £5.84 per day.

“These are statistics of limbo, inertia and despair, with a tragic, human dimension. The government also shows a profound lack of respect for the rule of law, by insisting that Rwanda is treated as a safe place despite clear evidence that it is not.”

She pointed out that migrants have contributed financially to this country, during a time when the UK has run an overall budget deficit. “Immigrants from outside the EU countries paid into the system about 3% more than they took out and they’re 43% less likely to receive state benefits or tax credits. In contrast, super-rich people in the UK registered as having non-domicile status are being legally allowed to avoid paying more than £3.2 billion of tax.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Aldam added, hostile and inflammatory government and media rhetoric on migration are escalating far-right anti-migrant and racist hate crime. “The language and the actions of our government undermine the core British values of democracy, liberty, respect, the rule of law and tolerance,” said Cllr Aldam. “We’re facing down the little guys, and ignoring the giant wastemen. We’re being cruel but impractical, inhumane yet wasteful, we’re lacking common sense but not replacing it with decency.”

Green councillor Chris Jockel (Chalford) told the meeting: “We’re between a rock and a hard place with two equally undesirable decisions. Additional funding should come with this requirement, and it’s cruel and absurd that it’s absent. We need to tell central government that in the absence of funding we should be free to use the money we do have in an intelligent, joined-up way.”

Cllr Chloe Turner (Green, Minchinhampton) said she was “disgusted” by the anti-migrant rhetoric used by Government. “I will vote for this proposal but only because the alternative is worse. I will go home tonight and make a significant donation to GARAS [Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers, which supports people arriving in the county from overseas on behalf of the council] to make myself feel better.”

Cllr Tricia Watson (Chalford) said: “I’m shocked that there’s no central government funding for this when we already have a massive waiting list.”

Lucas Schoemaker, Vice-Chair of the Housing committee, commented later: “We have a proud history of welcoming people to the Stroud District and we want the government to take responsibility and fund proper housing for those who need it, both for our local communities and for those fleeing persecution.”

Cllr Catherine Braun, Leader of Stroud District Council, said afterwards: “There is a shortage of affordable housing options in Stroud district, with an increasing number of homeless applications to the Council. This situation urgently needs to be addressed with national funding to tackle the housing crisis. Alongside this action, we need a compassionate and rational migration policy that is properly planned and funded, unlike this appalling scheme from the Conservative Government. We must avoid the tragedy of refugees putting their lives in danger because the Government places ever-greater restrictions on safe and legal routes to reach the UK.”

The background to the debate can be seen at Item 9A on the meeting agenda: https://stroud.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=143&MId=1422&Ver=4

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Interview by Pippa Audritt, photo by Martin Phelps

In the latest in our occasional series about our Green Councillors from around Stroud District, we interviewed Beki Aldam, district councillor for Brimscombe & Thrupp and Chair of the Community Services and Licensing Committee on Stroud District Council.

Beki is one of the 14 Greens on the Green-led council. The party also has 12 councillors on Stroud Town Council, one on Stonehouse Town Council, two on Rodborough Parish Council, one on Coaley & Uley parish council, and one on Thrupp Parish Council. 

 What originally motivated you to get involved in local politics?

I’d been thinking for a while about how I could play a meaningful role in doing something about climate change. Although I had been doing things on a personal level to help, I wanted to do more; I wanted to be able to tell my daughters that I had tried to bring about positive change. When I was asked to stand for council it therefore seemed the obvious next step.

What does being a councillor involve? 

My two main responsibilities as a District Councillor are those specifically within my ward and those on Stroud District Council generally. My ward role involves representing the people in Thrupp, Brimscombe and Butterrow at Council and helping them in general. This may involve taking a stand on matters they raise or helping solve any relevant problems.

My responsibilities on the District Council involve, among other things, acting as the vice-chair of the Community Services and Licensing Committee. This involves anything to do with the community, such as attending Stroud Arts Festival board meetings as their council member, and also anything to do with licensing, such as venue licences and taxi licences.  

At the moment I am helping the council to battle the cost-of-living crisis by supporting the work of officers in helping the community. I chose to be on this committee because it ties in with areas that I am incredibly passionate about. Community Services, for example, ties in heavily with health and wellbeing. I believe wellness is vital in ensuring people lead less climate-destructive lives as happiness and a climate destructive lifestyle are not compatible.

You’ve been a councillor since 2021. What can you tell us about your experience so far? Has it been what you expected?

It has been incredibly varied. I was elected during lockdown, which meant that it was very tricky to meet people. As well as this, the Brimscombe Port re-development had reached a crunch point, making the start of my time as a councillor fairly full-on. However, since lockdown, my role as a councillor has become a lot more enjoyable, especially now I have become more experienced. I’m not sure whether my experience as a councillor has been what I expected because I campaigned during lockdown and therefore couldn’t quite get the measure of what local politics involved. I knew that I wanted a place to put my energies, but I wasn’t quite sure what that would look like.

If you could pick one memorable thing that’s happened at council or out and about in the ward that sticks in your mind for whatever reason, what would it be? 

That would have to be a bike ride that I organised with a group of fellow cyclists and cargo bike owners. After the bike ride, we screened Motherload, a documentary about the use of cargo bikes, their impact on parenthood, and their use in the context of a warming world. After this bike ride many other local mums got a cargo bike for their children and there are now at least 10 cargo bikes that come to the school.

I think the bike rides that we organise and also me cycling round on my cargo bike certainly make a difference and has helped promote active transport in the community. Although the bike rides are not directly linked to my work as a councillor, they are not completely separate either.

In the run up to your election, were you always confident of winning, or was there a pivotal moment? 

When I was running for the election I was in a unique position in that I was taking over from Martin Whiteside, who had been councillor in Thrupp for 20 years or so. Martin was very popular, due to his amazing work as a Green councillor, so Labour and the Conservatives put little effort into campaigning to win the ward when Martin stepped down.

I had supported Martin in the ward and was fairly well-known in the area because I was already involved in the community through projects like delivering books to people during lockdown, with my daughters.

Thanks to the brilliant work of Martin – and the lack of strong opposition – I was confident of winning. Sometimes I feel I haven’t fully earned my position yet so I believe the next election will be more of an indication!

How did it feel to be at the Count and to see your votes piling up?

It felt really weird! The other candidates hadn’t done much campaigning and I could see as the votes were counted that it was going to be a Green win; that was amazing to see. It was lovely to know that so many people had made an active effort to vote for me.

Can you tell us a bit about your ward?

My ward is fairly small and contained in comparison to other larger wards like Chalford. It contains Brimscombe, Thrupp and Butterrow, all of which have really nice community feelings. The ward is long and thin in shape and is intersected by the river, canal and the main road.

Our ward is lucky to have some really amazing places such as the Long Table, a really lovely community space, and Stroud Brewery, a wonderful local B Corp company that is incredibly ethical and sustainable. I feel very lucky to live in and represent this amazing ward.

Do you think having Greens at the table makes a difference to a council?

Yes, on every level and almost in every moment of the day. A recent example would be when we were discussing a grant for a playgroup that wanted to improve an outdoor area. The playgroup wanted to clear the area and put down artificial grass, but I successfully asked for the grant to be conditional on there being natural instead of artificial grass, to avoid the environmental damage the artificial grass would cause. 

This tiny example reflects the greater change which is made by having lots of Greens at the table. The council has a Green leader, Cllr Catherine Braun, and is run by a Green-led Alliance. That has allowed the council to be very progressive in terms of the environment, and it was one of the first councils to declare a climate emergency.

Are there any tips you would give to someone who is interested in getting involved in local politics or is about to start their own election campaign for council?

I think the best thing to do if you want to get involved in local politics is to get involved in the community because then you can organically meet people and build your profile in the area. Being known as a likeable person, and as a person who gets stuff done and works for the right things, is important.

My other tip would be to take your time once you start the campaign trail and especially once you are elected. There are lots of things to get your head around, such as the structure of the council and who to talk to in certain situations. If you give yourself time and keep your eyes and ears open you will eventually understand how things work and you’ll settle into the role.

What Council decisions or activities are you most proud of?

The ambitious plan to do a retrofit of the Stroud District housing stock is something I am proud of, although it is not something for which I am responsible. It’s an amazing idea for the climate but also for improving people’s housing and making them more future ready.

I’m also proud of what the council gets done despite the massive cuts from national government. For example, Stroud District Council is one of the few councils that still offer council tax support; that’s a very brave and inspiring thing to do in the face of large cuts and the need for the council to still provide statutory services.

Something I’m personally proud is the Cost of Living support we are providing as a council. I brought the cost-of-living crisis motion to full council where we, as a council, declared a cost-of-living crisis. This was not only a symbolic gesture but also meant proper council resource could be put into battling the crisis. Once we declared a cost-of-living crisis, the chief executive wrote to our local MPs as well as directly to the PM saying how the council was concerned for the residents of Stroud District.

This was an important step for raising awareness of the issue and also for being there for residents. As part of the cost-of-living support we organised ‘warm spaces’ across the district; that has involved coordination between community hubs and the District and Town councils and has been a great community-based effort.

What Green policies are you keen to implement in your ward or in Stroud District as a whole?

I think the main one would be a Universal Basic Income (UBI) as it would allow people to be given enough to cover their basic needs every month. This would mean that poverty would be erased, along with all the mental health issues and other problems related to it.

The security provided by UBI would allow people to choose their jobs more freely and to pursue business ideas and different career options more readily. This would lead to companies having to provide good conditions and pay to attract staff as well as people being happier as they can pursue their interest more readily.

It would also mean people would be able to make better and more climate friendly life choices as they would not be under the great financial strain caused by unemployment and poverty.

What changes would you like to see in how we’re governed at a national level?

I have been considering this question a lot and I think it boils down to the issue of wealth. The way that we live is not sustainable and this unsustainable lifestyle is greatly exacerbated by the unequal distribution of wealth, especially when it comes to excessive individual and corporate wealth.

If you earn a lot of money your carbon footprint will be astonishingly higher and this correlation is an immensely strong one. The way that we are currently governed ensures the amassing of excessive wealth by individuals and corporations and therefore a wealth tax or limit on the profits a company can make is necessary to stop the large inequalities in wealth damaging both the climate and society.

Another change that I would like to see would be having a government more focused on protecting people and covering their basic needs. This change would be made possible by a change to the current First Past The Post voting system, which embraces mediocrity because it makes politicians less accountable to the public. FPTP means politicians often don’t have to work hard and serve the people in order to be re-elected. This has led to the disenfranchisement of many, meaning the government becomes further and further detached from the people it should be serving.

What do you need from local members and supporters to achieve your goals?

I would love some help from local members in areas that I am not personally skilled in. For example, some local members recently helped me design my newsletter; that was incredibly useful as I don’t have great design skills.

It would also be great if people who want to get involved in the community, and help to do some good in the ward, do so under the banner of the Green Party. This would be amazing as it would help generate a community feeling, help people in the ward, and also show what the Greens are capable of doing! Leafleting and canvassing what also be wonderful, especially in the run-up to the 2024 elections!

Finally, where would you like to see a Green win next in Stroud District?

It would be lovely for more Greens to win at county level. At the moment, Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) is Conservative led, which limits the opportunities for our four amazing Green county councillors to make any real change. For example, whilst GCC is responsible for the roads, we are never going to be able to implement active transport policies or 20mph speed limits where people live work and play.

At District level, I would like Greens to win anywhere they haven’t already, especially in wards where many feel unrepresented by their councillor, such as Tory strongholds in rural areas. It would be nice to turn these areas Green ahead of the General Election.

You can follow Beki on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/greenchalfordminch) and Twitter https://twitter.com/bekialdam

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 The event is being organised by a group of keen cyclists (the Cargo Bikes of Stroud), the Bike Drop community cycle servicing and repair workshop at Brimscombe Mills, and The Electric Bike Shop in Stroud.

The route, along the A419, starts at Brimscombe Mills (GL5 2QN) and ends at Stroud farmers’ market – about three miles in total, most of it flat. There is no charge to take part. Bikes can be locked outside the Electric Bike Shop and staff there will keep an eye on them, as long as they are removed before the end of the market (2pm).

Participants who arrive by bike can get a free tea/coffee or children’s drink from 10am at the Bike Drop before setting off.

Beki Aldam, Green district councillor for Brimscombe & Thrupp, will be taking part with her children on their cargo bike. She said: “When we decided to organise the ride there were just so many reasons behind it – the need for better infrastructure; the wish to reduce air pollution; demand for safer, pleasanter streets; helping people recharge their mental and physical health – but mostly we’re excited to get people together and have some fun. Getting around by bike is the best way to travel, and what better destination than our brilliant farmers’ market?”

Beki is pictured with her cargo bike, outside the Electric Bike Shop in Stroud.

For more information on the ride, contact Beki at cllr.rebecca.aldam@stroud.gov.uk 

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Beki, Maeve, six, and Iitu, four, set off on their electric cargo bike delivering free books to adults and children around Stroud.

And when residents heard about their half-term project, many got in touch to donate books. Among them was local best-selling author Katie Fforde, who gave Beki a bag of her signed romantic novels.

Beki, of Thrupp, who teaches English and History at the Acorn School in Nailsworth and is a caseworker for Green Party District Councillor Martin Whiteside, had the idea after posting books to her students during lockdown and hearing of people not having enough to read due to the libraries being closed. 

Beki then asked on social media if anyone would like to give or receive a book and was amazed by the response. “I was so touched by the offers of books, and Katie’s were received particularly enthusiastically by the recipients,” said Beki.

Beki and her children wrapped the books and wrote a gift tag for each, before stacking up their bike each day of the February half term and cycling around to deliver them. Their ‘customers’ included Stroud Maternity Unit, where new mums now had plenty to read while waiting for their babies to arrive.

Beki loved the reactions she got from the recipients. “People were very happy and touched,” she said. “One man said his wife loved reading but could not easily get hold of books as she wasn’t able to get out very much anymore.”

She added: “It is estimated that during the first lockdown one in four children didn’t have access to a book. Although libraries have been brilliantly supporting the community with e-books and partially re-opening where possible, many people have been unable to access copies of books during the lockdown, especially if they are shielding or less able to afford buying them online. So it was lovely to be able to help in a small way – and my daughters really enjoyed their time as mini-library workers!”

See the local press coverage of this story: https://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/news/19156565.stroud-mum-daughters-deliver-free-books-bike/

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