Community, resilience and huge potential all stand out

As many Chronicle readers know, as council leader, I write a weekly introduction to our E-connect newsletter.

Looking back at these since I became leader in May, I can chart the rollercoaster journey we have been on as a result of the pandemic.

The impact on our lives, communities and businesses, and on our NHS, council and other public services has been enormous.

I want to pay a special tribute and express my thanks to the council’s staff, who have kept our services going in these challenging times, and to all the residents they serve, who make our city and the wider Bath and North East Somerset area such a special place.

We owe our local health and social care staff – and the army of unpaid carers – a special debt of gratitude.

There are also some common themes which stand out which I would like to highlight as we look forward to Christmas and beyond to 2022.

Firstly, the incredible sense of community that we have in our city.

One of the privileges of being council leader is visiting many of the voluntary and community groups that make the city what it is.

My thanks go to all those who give their time to help, and to the 3SG which plays such a role in supporting local groups.

My particular thanks go to all those involved in the remarkable vaccination effort and also to those who have supported the Community Wellbeing Hub, which has provided such vital support during the pandemic.

Secondly, the striking resilience and innovation local businesses have shown in the face of the Covid challenge.

Wherever possible, we have mobilised the council in support of jobs and enterprise.

In the summer we saw how outside eating and drinking brought the city centre back to life.

And despite not being able to hold the full-scale Bath Christmas Market this year we have seen real festive spirit from the Bath BID, Visit Bath and many others, as our city centre sparkles with Christmas cheer.

I would like to thank all local businesses, particularly our small independent traders; they are the lifeblood of our city.

Thirdly, the huge potential our city has. I am proud of the way Bath manages our incredible heritage in such a forward-looking way.

This year saw the city receive its second Unesco World Heritage status listing, a fantastic achievement.

Next year we will open the new World Heritage Centre, as part of the Archway Project.

And this year we also held our first Climate and Biodiversity Festival, a huge success and one I hope that we can repeat in 2022.

I am also very proud of Bath’s clean air zone, introduced in March to protect public health, and the first non-charging zone outside of London.

Leading a council in a city as vibrant and complex as Bath brings unique challenges.

We have a thriving culture of people having their say, which I very much welcome, and which we have seen in recent months in response to many initiatives.

Since becoming leader, I have sought always to listen and act on people’s concerns and bring people together in the service of our common good and wellbeing.

Looking ahead, and as reported in the Chronicle, next year we will make further progress on delivering Liveable Neighbourhoods and also on our plans for the first council housing in a generation.

As we do this – and as we continue to tackle the climate emergency and gather momentum towards our ambitious net zero targets – I look forward to providing regular updates to you on what we are doing to improve the lives of all our residents.

A merry Christmas and happy new year to all.