Wotton-under-Edge,North Nibley & Stinchcombe

Along with residents' casework and in addition to council and training meetings at Ebley Mill, Cllrs Kitchen, Braun & Cohen covered the regular council meetings at North Nibley, Stinchcombe & Wotton-under-Edge.

Council meetings

(Online links to agendas and other supporting documentation via underlined text)

Development Control Committee - 2nd September

• 31 Kingshill Road, Dursley, Gloucestershire, S.25/0257/FUL - approved
  • Adaptation and extension of existing car showroom into a new education facility (Use Class C2)
  • The Committee unanimously approved the application, despite the planning officers' recommendation to refuse. Committee members decided Local Plan Core Policy 12 (which seeks to protect and bolster the role that our town centres play in providing jobs and contributing to a strong local economy) should take priority over the heritage and design planning aspects highlighted by officers. Two of the ward councillors and the Town Council spoke at the meeting in support of the application.
• Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Monitoring Fee - Committee approved this new fee to enable the council to reasonably resource its new biodiversity monitoring duty.
• Video recording

Housing Committee - 9th September

• Empty Homes Strategy
  • Approved a new five year strategy to 2030 to bring more empty homes back into use, with a focus initially on long-term empty homes, particularly those that are the subject of complaints or other concerns. Currently 986 properties in the district are registered as empty for the purposes of council tax. Of the total number of empty dwellings 233 vacant homes are not on the market, undergoing major works or have been empty for less than 6 months. Discussed that the Private Sector Housing team will need extra resource to deliver this new strategy.
• New Council Housing
  • The Council is currently acquiring 30 affordable homes from developers, in Kingswood, Cam and Horsley, through s106 agreements, most of which will be completed this year. Four new family homes for temporary accommodation (for homeless people) will be bought at Great Oldbury, which is more viable than the initially proposed SDC build using Modern Methods of Construction (fabrication off site).
  • Swedish Timber sites: Mount Pleasant, Wotton: a planning application is anticipated in October. The Avenue, Stinchcombe: SDC now owns all the properties on the site, and an update will be presented at 4th November Housing Committee, and subject to approval, will be followed by consultation with the Parish Councillors and a public consultation event. The Knoll, Uley: more work is being undertaken on drainage options and highways issues.
  • May Lane & Parsonage Street, Dursley - planning application for 17 units anticipated in November 2025.
• Stroud Council Tenant Complaints
  • The social housing complaints process is generally compliant with the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code. A plan is in place for further improvement.
• Decant Policy
  • This policy provides support to tenants who are required to relocate/move because of planned development works, major repairs or emergency situations. Tenants will be kept informed with assistance provided which may include support with removals, packing and settling in, and temporary accommodation for pets. Tenants may also be eligible for statutory home loss payments.
• Compensation Policy
  • A revised Housing Services Compensation Policy was agreed which takes into account changes in legislation, regulation and the Consumer Standards and the Housing Ombudsman principles of good practice, so that statutory and discretionary compensation payments are awarded in a fair and consistent way.
• Decarbonisation and energy efficiency of council housing
  • Over recent years, the council has secured over £9 million in Government grant funding to improve the energy efficiency of council homes along with additional investment by the council. Works include insulation works, windows, renewable heating and solar PV installations. Data from Wave 1 of the funding for 160 homes, showed an increased energy efficiency rating, and an average saving of over £600 per property per year on the total energy costs within their homes, and with a saving of over 170 tonnes of carbon each year for all these properties. Funding for subsequent projects has enabled a further 850 council homes to be added to the this energy efficiency programme. This work was recognised last year, when SDC won an award for the Best Social Housing Led Retrofit Programme.
• Video recording

Licensing Sub-Committee - 16th September

• The Farmers Yard, Westend Farm, Church Road, Arlingham, GL2 7JL - granted subject to conditions
  • An application for a premises licence for a café named The Farmers Yard in a converted farm building with a large outside seating area to the rear. Concerns raised by residents that increased use during the evening will impact them and wildlife, and concern about lack of parking and parking on verges. The Panel agreed to grant the application with amendments and additional conditions which do not allow live music after 11 pm.
• Video recording

Environment Committee - 18th September

• Subsidised Bulky Waste collections
  • Agreed that subsidised bulky waste collections will be offered to people in receipt of Housing Benefit and Council Tax support across the district, following a trial at the Lawnside area of Nailsworth. This aimed to reduce fly tipping and improve the overall street scene trial. The new arrangements will go live by April 2026.
  • New group to review the Council's representation on outside bodies.
  • With local government reorganisation in the future, this review is being undertaken to ensure the Council remains connected to key local and regional work and reflects community views. (Also agreed by Community Services Committee).
• Member / Officer reports were shared on the following topics:
  • Climate Leadership Gloucestershire - a new Climate and Planning Manager has been appointed.
  • Cotswold National Landscape Board - new Head Warden for Cotswold Wardens, Sarah West.  
  • Lower Severn Internal Drainage Board - based in Oldbury-on-Severn, and covers area of Avonmouth to Ledbury.  
  • Performance Monitoring  
  • Stroud Regeneration Committee  
  • Stroud Valley Project Board  
  • Air Quality Update  
  • Update on Kerbside Collection of Vapes and Batteries  
  • Beaver Letter of Support Information Sheet  
  • Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy - Consultation 
• Video recording

Audit & Standards Committee - 23rd September

• Complaints - A new reporting format for council complaints performance was agreed. This will help to demonstrate that SDC takes complaints seriously with lessons identified to improve future performance. Performance will be reviewed annually.
• An 'Independent Person', Jonathan Wood, who has professional experience in Audit and Standards work, was appointed to join the Committee, in line with sector good practice requirements.
• Customer Contact Centre - update on development of the centralised customer contact model, and on the annual performance of the Council's Service Standards. Last year there were over 9,700 visits to Ebley Mill and 165,000 calls to the main SDC telephone number, with the vast majority of calls answered within one minute. A new facility will be installed next summer to allow customers to request a callback, instead of waiting on the phone. Emails should be responded to as soon as possible and within 10 working days. Most emails to the recycling mailbox were responded to on the same day, during Q1. The new Liberty Digital Platform at SDC allows more options for self-serve online, e.g. for missed bin collections. Further improvements are planned.
• Reports also discussed on Treasury Management, Internal Audit, new Global Internal Audit Standards, the Strategic Risk Register and Performance Monitoring.
• Video recording

Community Services & Licensing Committee - 25th September

• The Chair of Friends of Stroud Skateparks asked questions of the Council. Councillors were enthusiastic and ongoing engagement is needed.
• Recommended the adoption the updated Licensing Policy (2026-2031) by Council following consultation.
• Recommend the establishment of a group to review representation on outside bodies.
  • Important with upcoming LGR ensuring the Council remains connected to important local and regional work and ensures community views are represented.
    
  • This is the same group that Environment is recommending to Council.
• Video recording

Other news

• Round three of Stroud Funding launches. £5-£15k. Free workshops for community groups.
• Plan now for a warmer winter. Free energy saving upgrades available to residents.
• Reminder: SDC operate a weekly battery and vape collection service in partnership with Ubico.
• Cllrs. Kitchen, Cohen and Braun attended the official opening of the new playground in Stinchcombe on the 7th September. Splendid community effort.
• SDC is celebrating Recycle Week by releasing a behind-the-scenes film that follows the recycling journey from kerbside collection to specialist processing facilities.
• Use SDC's Waste Wizard search to find out alternative ways you can repair, reuse, recycle or dispose of your household items.

Prepared by Cllr Gareth Kitchen (Green) & Cllr Catherine Braun (Green) based on councillor activity in September with updates from Cllr Linda Cohen (Lib Dem).