Happy New Year to all the readers of the Gazette!

Hopefully you have all enjoyed a well-earned break over Christmas and have entered 2020 with plenty of energy and enthusiasm. Many of us will have committed to ‘New Year’s Resolutions’, which always reminds me of the old adage: “be the change you want to see.” I always enjoy the feeling of a clean slate brought by each new year. It is both a chance to reflect on the events of the past 12 months - good and bad - and to build on or learn from them to set goals for the future.

Looking back, 2019 was quite a rollercoaster year politically. There were more elections than many would have liked, and there also seemed to be a strong focus on our differences and divisions rather than those common goals and values which unite us. But, despite the unsettled national picture, I am proud of how much was accomplished here in South Gloucestershire - recycling has soared to all-time highs, record capital investments have been made into our schools and our local highways and South Gloucestershire Council made the ambitious commitment to see the district become carbon neutral by 2030.

Looking ahead to the coming year, there is a lot to look forward to. 2020 will see further investment in our roads, schools and public open areas, and in our broadband infrastructure (only 4 per cent of South Gloucestershire is yet to receive high-speed broadband connection and we want to reduce that figure further). We will see much activity both on our doorstep, with new construction projects starting alongside new facilities opening, and far beyond, as we cheer on our sporting heroes at the Olympics and Paralympics this Summer in Tokyo.

I hope the readers of the Gazette will share my enthusiasm and optimism for what the New Year will bring. I wish you all a peaceful and contented 2020.