Local district councils - and we have six of them in Gloucestershire - have been developing their own coronavirus recovery plans.
I prefer to call them restart plans for our local economies.
It is far more positive, and we must all stay positive in these challenging times.
Looking through all these plans, I found them pretty similar and generally lacking vision to really help to re-start the Gloucestershire economy.
In my view, rightly or wrongly, what we need in this county is big, bold ideas that will really make a difference to people’s lives.
Most of our councils will turn around and say the sort of infrastructure projects on their wish list would be just unaffordable.
They are right, of course. But there is a thing called the Public Loans Board - a government body that will lend to councils.
And at present, lending rates are the lowest in history.
So, what’s stopping them having the boldness to look at some big infrastructure projects?
I talked recently to the leader of the Forest of Dean District Council, Councillor Tim Gwilliam about some
bold thinking and he came up with a list of some great ideas.
Eradication of this dreadful disease that is running our lives must, of course, be the main priority for our district councils.
But coronavirus also presents new opportunities as to how we develop our economy in Gloucestershire.
That means bold ideas.
That means ideas that will bring new jobs and help to develop a new future for our local economy throughout the county.
It will need to be sufficiently attractive to young people and I believe must very much have a digital focus. The county’s recent Local Industrial Strategy developed by GFirstLEP - written before coronavirus - presents a clear pathway to a more prosperous Gloucestershire and a better place to live.
Our district councils must realise that and take some big steps to really re-start our economy.
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