COUNCILLORS at a Tetbury Town Council meeting discussed local crime, infrastructure concerns, and space for a new community hub.

On Monday, November 28, discussions regarding the lack of infrastructure in Tetbury were reignited.

Deputy mayor Kevin Painter said: “If you look at how much money is being spent in Cirencester, what is being spent in Tetbury is miniscule.”

He recalled that recently, when the town’s high street was closed off for to road works, “all we were given was some tarmac”.

He continued: “In the first town meeting, they assured us they were no longer doing patch-up work and that they were going to do a ‘proper job’.”

Cllr Colin Pearce said regarding infrastructure in the town: “This is where we need to push and push and lobby. We need some money invested in this town by highways.”

Regarding crime in the area, PCSO Leah Davis said that more crimes were being recorded compared to previous years.

She added: “Domestic violence has escalated. A lot more people are reporting the violence and neighbours are reporting it when they hear noises.”

She also explained the difficulties with regards to police resources. According to PC Davis, in 2010, there were 1,382 police officers covering Gloucestershire.

Six years later, the number has gone down to 1,040, representing a loss of nearly 350 officers, a large per cent of which was from the Cotswolds.

But she said: “I must stress that if you look at North Cotswolds, they have two PCSOs covering the whole area whereas we have two for Tetbury.

“I know you’re saying you don’t see many of us as often as you would like to and we agree we would like to help out as much as possible.”

Cllr Pearce expressed concern: “With all the new houses, we have got more people coming into town and potentially more crime.”

The town council also voted in favour or renting a section of Coombe House to use as a community hub.

Cllr Tony Walsh said: “I think we should go for this. We can use that building for purposes in the town, for a community hub and other non-profit-using uses.”

Cllr Sandra Ball took the opportunity at the meeting to announce that children from France will be visiting Tetbury for a culture exchange on June 16 next year.

In October, Tetbury Town Council was slammed by its own members after officers missed a crucial funding deadline for a youth sporting event. The event planned to bring children from around Europe, including France, into Tetbury.