North Nibley Parish Council Meeting

4th March 2026

My informal notes from Wednesday's Parish Council meeting that I attended along with SDC Cllr. Braun and GCC/SDC Cllr. Cohen.

Lots of updates on actions from the previous meeting. Bins update, planning at SDC seems understaffed, fix Annual parish meeting date.

No questions on the SDC Councillors' Report but there has been a bit of movement on the Local Plan. The Inspectors will conduct a limited consultation on the latest highways assessments and will issue further questions. Only National Highways, GCC, South Gloucestershire Council and SDC will be invited to respond. Written exchanges. They will review the need for an oral hearing once they have considered the written evidence. SDC have no control over the timetable or the scope, which at this stage excludes the public.

SDC are required to begin work on a new Local Plan. A report will be presented to the April Council meeting setting out the next steps for preparing a plan under the new system, including the Government’s timetable, which requires SDC to issue a Notice of Commencement by 30 June 2026.

Also, regarding Westridge Woods; a meeting has been arranged for 24 March with the Forestry Commission (local woodland officer, ecologist, possibly the Area Director) and a representative from F&W Forestry, the company carrying out the tree‑felling. The goal is to let recent complainants discuss their concerns directly with the regulator and the contractor. Attendance is to be limited to one parish councillor. There is a complaint from a resident (outside the North Nibley and Wotton parishes) with the Forestry Commission that has progressed to Stage 3, another from a local resident that is at Stage 1.

Residents are again encouraged to share their views about the three proposals to  reorganise the district councils and county council in Gloucestershire (LGR) before a Government consultation closes on 26 March. For info - A majority of Stroud District Councillors (including the three Wotton ward councillors) voted to support a single unitary council for Gloucestershire. This is due to the disadvantages that would arise, for residents in Stroud district, if the county is split into two unitary councils for the East and West, and due to the extra cost, complexity and duplication that dividing county council services would cause. Link on the north Nibley Parish Council Web Site. https://northnibleyparishcouncil.gov.uk/

Discussions on a planning application appeal and new application. Major milestone achieved with the Play Area (Cllr J Smith). All the legal and lease issues now sorted and signed. Verbal report on the Biodiversity group.

Myself and Cllr Braun left for a catch up meeting.