Stroud District Council (SDC) is set to review street and building names, statues and architectural features to ensure they represent the community’s values – and we want to recruit two community representatives to help with this.
As part of its response to issues raised by the Black Lives Matter movement last year, SDC committed to undertake a review and community consultation of any street and building names, statues and architectural features to ensure they are representative of local peoples’ values and those of an inclusive Council.
The consultation will not just be about removal versus preservation but about promoting equality through our sense of place.
SDC will start this consultation in May and is setting up a Review Panel to analyse responses and put forward any appropriate recommendations.
The Panel will consist of members of the Council’s Equality Working Group and external representatives. We also want to make sure that the views of our communities are included on the Review Panel, so we are recruiting two Community Representatives.
“It is clear that more needs to be done to tackle racism,” said Stroud District Council Leader Doina Cornell. “One important issue that was raised last year related to how commemorations of history should now be reviewed to ensure they are appropriate to the current time.
“It is important to emphasise that the process which will start in May is about promoting equality through our sense of place, and it is not just about removal versus preservation.”
The consultation will work within new laws announced by Government in January which say all historic statues, plaques and other monuments will now require full planning permission to remove, ensuring due process and local consultation in every case, and that the law will make clear that historic monuments should be retained and explained: www.gov.uk/government/news/new-legal-protection-for-england-s-heritage
If you are interested in applying to be a member of the Review Panel please read the Role Description and complete the Expression of Interest form and return to policy@stroud.gov.uk
Applications close on the 11 March and interviews will take place in the afternoon of Friday 19th March.
