Cllr Sue Hartley
Cllr Sue Hartley, Chair
Cllr Hartley has lived in Standish since 2007, having previously lived across the A38 in Saul for 21 years.
Sue joined the Parish Council in 2015. She worked as a Social Worker for Gloucestershire for 37 years prior to her retirement, then continued for a few years in a part-time role tutoring foster carers. She now shares her time between Parish Council duties, singing in and acting as secretary for Stonehouse Community Choir, tending her garden and looking after her grandchildren.
As a Parish Councillor, Sue instigated and edits the twice-yearly newsletter that goes to all households to keep residents up to date with the Council’s activities. Her priorities are to work with residents to safeguard the elements that make Standish special (currently through the development of a Neighbourhood Plan) and to find ways for Standish to contribute to Stroud’s ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030. With a young and growing family living next door to her, she is keen for Standish to remain a wonderful place to live, for the short and long-term future.
Sue can be contacted on 01452 724000 or via e-mail: suehartley@outlook.com
Cllr. Alison Widgery
Cllr. Alison Widgery
Cllr Alison Widgery has lived in Standish since 2016 having lived in small villages for most of her life. She worked for many years in primary education in Bristol, Kent, Nottingham and Essex (including 16 years as a head teacher) and several years in teacher education working for Canterbury Christchurch University. She volunteered for many years with adults with a learning disability and currently volunteers at the local school that her grandchildren attend, where she supports young students developing reading skills. She enjoys singing and belongs to two local choirs.
As a Parish Councillor, Alison has been working on developing a footpath audit for the Neighbourhood Development Plan. This will identify wildlife corridors in order to protect the local flora and fauna and maintain the rich Standish environment. She has been active in the PC’s Climate Change work and is hoping to be part of a community group working to support Carbon Neutralising projects in Standish. Alison is a member of the Stonehouse Climate Action Group and is a member of the Standish Village Hall Management Committee.
Alison can be contacted on 01453 828554 or ajwidgery1@gmail.com
Cllr John Parker
Cllr Parker works at the Malthouse in Standish, where he is Chief Executive Officer of the Arboricultural Association. John grew up in the local area before leaving for university in Cardiff and then working as Senior Arboriculture & Landscape Specialist for Transport for London. He returned to live in Stonehouse in 2013 and holds a number of voluntary positions including Standish Parish Councillor, Chair of Governors at the Stonehouse Park Federation and Trustee at the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum. He is the founder of the Stonehouse Community Arboretum. As Chief Executive Officer of the Arboricultural Association John is responsible for managing a charity and professional membership organisation of more than 3000 members and which employs around 15-20 people in Standish. John is passionate about social and environmental issues and has a great interest in local history and heritage. He is a regular contributor to professional conferences and projects around the world, and is keen to utilise his professional experience for the benefit of the Standish community.
John can be contacted on 07971797782 or john@trees.org.uk
Cllr Oliver Kirkham
In April 2022, the Parish Council welcomed Oliver Kirkham, who has filled the vacancy created when Michael Jenkins moved away from the parish in November, 2021. Oliver has lived in Standish since 2018, having formerly lived in Stroud since 2009. He has a background in infrastructure development in the UK, specifically energy and transport, after initially starting out in commercial property. He has also worked on environmental impact assessment for schemes, most recently being involved with the A417 Birdlip. Oliver enjoys bringing up his family in Standish and exploring the area. Since joining the Council, Oliver has taken on the maintenance of its benches and will look to assist with the multi-user path where possible alongside taking a keen interest in flood alleviation and the effects of climate change within the parish. He is a resident of Standish Court and serves as a member of the Standish Village Hall Management Committee.
Oliver can be contacted on: okirkham@googlemail.com
Cllr Andreas Biermann
Andreas lives at Green Walk, together with his wife Marta, children Leonardo and Frida, both of whom are passionate football players for Stonehouse FC and Quedgeley Wanderers respectively, and two cats.
Andreas moved to Standish in October 2022, having previously lived in Coventry, London, Paris, and Incheon. He is a senior energy and climate policy expert and is Director of Sustainable Finance with Globalfields Ltd., a family business now based at the old Standish Hospital site. Andreas has over 26 years’ experience in academic, national, and multilateral contexts, focusing on climate change for the last 17 years. He has worked at the International Energy Agency, the European Bank for Reconstruction in London, and the Green Climate Fund.
Andreas decided to apply for co-option onto the Parish Council as he is a firm believer in local democracy, and strongly interested in helping to make Green Walk integrate fully as a part of the parish.
Andreas can be contacted on: 07397 530503; email: a.biermann@gmail.com
———————————————————————————————————-
Details of Councillor DPIs are available on the Council Policies section of this website.