Oliver's Battery & Badger Farm Councillors

12 months ago today I was rushing around frenetically. It was the day of the Oliver's Battery & Badger Farm by-election and I was busy doing all the election day stuff. At the end of an exhausting day it was all worth while because I'd been elected with a substantial majority!

One year on and I've been trying to reflect on my first 12 months as a Winchester City Councillor.

Bad things first:

• Losing control in May, which didn't affect me too much as a backbencher, but it was frustrating to see years of good work being thrown away.
• Cabinet government and the scrutiny process. Brought in by our current government as a way of improving efficiency. In fact, it seems to me, an ineffective and relatively unaccountable way of running local government.
• The bizarre rules on standards, which seem to mean that the more involved you are in a ward issue the less able you are to take part in council decisions about it.
• Planning. The way in which central government casually dismisses local concerns and overrules decisions by local councils.

Good things:

• Actually managing to get a few environmental improvements underway, like better foliage management in Badger Farm and some hard standing by the bus stop in Sunnydown Road, Oliver's Battery.
• Working with the two Parish Councils. I have a lot of respect for both PC Chairs and for the, often unrecognised, work they do for our communities.
• Being able to provide help to quite a few people locally.
• Working with the good, experienced Liberal Democrat team on the City Council and with our very hardworking County Councillors.

Well, there we are. A few random thoughts, but no regrets!