In 2021, all our lives were affected by the pandemic – yet I was struck by the incredible sense of community spirit it has invoked in the Chew Valley and across all of Bath and North East Somerset.

I want to pay a special tribute and express my thanks to all the Council staff who are keeping services going in these challenging times, and to all our residents, who make our area such a special place to live.

Many, many others also deserve our gratitude: our local health and social care workers who, alongside an army of unpaid carers, support the most vulnerable in our communities; the voluntary and community groups who give their time to make a difference to people’s lives; everyone involved in the incredible ongoing vaccination effort; and all those who’ve supported the Community Wellbeing Hub.

The Council has worked hard to support jobs and our fantastic local businesses which have shown resilience and innovation. The Chew Valley is home to many thriving local firms who make a huge contribution to local jobs and local life.

I am determined that the Council will do everything it can to support rural communities on the things that matter to them, such as transport issues, and we are working closely with the West of England Combined Authority on this. The new Chew Valley Lake walking and cycling trail is now taking shape and I thank our partners at the West of England Combined Authority and Bristol Water for their contributions to this fantastic project.

I would like to take this opportunity to also thank the Parish Councils in the Chew Valley area for all that they do to improve local communities.

Looking ahead to next year, we will progress our plans for the first general-needs Council housing in a generation. We will continue to strive for net zero to tackle the Climate Emergency, supporting more residents to retrofit their properties with

energy saving measures and increasing tree cover with community planting schemes. Following the huge success of our first Climate and Biodiversity Festival – in which the Chew Valley Area Forum Climate and Nature Emergency Working Group played a key part – we hope to hold a similar event in 2022.

As Council Leader, it’s important I get out into all our communities and learn about the issues that affect them and what we can do to improve the lives of residents. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in 2022 and continuing to work with all our communities to improve the lives of residents.

A Happy New Year to all.