Green Councillor Saskia Heijltjes Calls For Better Climate Emergency Scrutiny At BaNES Council 13 September 2023 / 16 July 2024 by dominictristram B&NES Council has failed to produce any agenda papers for its latest scrutiny meeting. The Council held the second Climate Emergency and Sustainability Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel at the Guildhall this week (September 14th 2023), but once again failed to send any papers to the Committee members in advance on this vital panel. Green […] Read more »
Councillor Saskia Heijltjes Urges Council Rethink on Entry Hill Site 11 July 2023 / 16 July 2024 by dominictristram In 2019, Bath and North East Somerset declared a Climate Emergency and a year later, in 2020, also an Ecological Emergency recognising the severity of the degradation of the natural environment and loss of wildlife, the consequences of this, and the urgent need to take action to restore nature. Responding to the Climate Emergency is […] Read more »
Scrutiny Panels Must Allow Opposition To Hold Council To Account 25 May 2023 / 16 July 2024 by dominictristram “The role that overview and scrutiny can play in holding an authority’s decision-makers to account makes it fundamentally important to the successful functioning of local democracy.” This quote taken from the foreword of the government report ‘Overview and scrutiny: statutory guidance for councils and combined authorities’published in 2019 was mentioned in an induction session for new […] Read more »
Greens Win Record Number of Councillors in Bath and NE Somerset 5 May 2023 / 16 July 2024 by dominictristram The Green Party is celebrating a record-breaking number of councillors in Bath and NE Somerset with three elected: Joanna Wright, Saskia Heijltjes and Sam Ross. Joanna retained her seat in Lambridge and has been joined by Saskia, replacing the previous Lib Dem mayor of Bath. Meawhile in Clutton and Farmborough, Sam has become our first […] Read more »