Stroud District Councillors’ Report
July 2018
Summary of SDC Wotton Ward Councillors’ Council meetings and local business.
Community Governance Review
It was agreed at the Council meeting on 19 July to undertake a Community Governance Review before the next scheduled local elections in May 2020. A small number of parish and town councils (including Wotton) are expected to be considered for changes. In the debate, councillors paid tribute to parish and town councillors, and all the work they do for their communities. The timescale indicates that a consultation with Parish and Town Councils will start in early September.
The reasons for undertaking the review are:
Recommendation that the local government arrangements are reviewed every 10 to 15 years. SDC has not conducted a review for the whole District for over 10 years
In response to suggestions made by some parish/town councils (given population changes and shifts in ‘natural settlements’ caused by new development), and
Due to changes made to parish warding arrangements as part of the District Ward Review conducted by the Local Government Boundary Commission of which changes came into effect in 2016. This issue is noted as relevant to four parishes: Wotton-under-Edge, Cam, Stonehouse and Stroud Town. This will include looking at whether ward and parish boundaries should be aligned.
This Community Governance Review (CGR) will enable SDC to consider what changes, if any, are needed to the existing arrangements, in order to ensure that: Parish governance within the District is robust, representative and able to meet new challenges; that there is clarity and transparency to the areas that parish/town councils represent and that the electoral arrangements of parishes are appropriate, equitable and readily understood by their electorates.
Issues that can be considered in the Community Governance Review include whether to:
Abolish or create a new parish (this may be where an area is not currently parished, or as a result of bringing together two or more existing parishes);
Alter the boundary or warding arrangements of one or more existing parishes;
Bring a number of parishes together as a grouped parish council; and
Alter the number of seats on an existing parish council
To note: there is no requirement to change existing arrangements within parishes if it is felt that they are fit for purpose.
Indicative Timeline for Community Governance Review
A
table in the papers provides outline information for the 52 Town and
Parish Councils across the district, including the wards and number
of councillors (link).
Additional documents can be found on the website – item 7 on the agenda (link)
Car parking charges
The
consultation on proposals to introduce car parking charges closed on
29 July (see car
parking review). Officers are now reviewing all the responses
and preparing a report for councillors to consider in September /
October. The Leader, Cllr Cornell, announced at the Council meeting
on 19 July that a decision on the proposals to introduction of car
parking charges would go to Full Council, rather than the Strategy &
Resources Committee for a final decision.
New Chief Executive for SDC
Interviews were held for the Chief Executive Officer position on 31 July and 1 August. The Current CEO, David Hagg, will retire on 5 October. The interview Panel, Councillors and staff had the opportunity to meet and hear from the 5 down-selected candidates on day 1 and the interview panel (including Cllr Tucker) made a decision on day 2 from the 3 carried forward. Subject to suitable references, the recommendation will go forward for approval at the Full Council meeting on 9 August.
Wotton development – Development Control Committee
On 24 July DCC discussed the proposal for a new 80 space car park on Symn Lane and 12 houses. Opinions were divided on this issue, with the Committee narrowly voting in favour of the development (5-4). Management arrangements and planning conditions are still to be confirmed.
Single Use Plastics
Cllr Braun provided an update to the Strategy & Resources Committee on the proposals to reduce single use plastic across Stroud District. It’s been agreed that SDC will seek to work with community groups – including parish and town councils, the Refill Project and the Transition Stroud Action Group, ‘Stroud Valleys Action on Plastic’. We also intend to promote the plastic free work to schools and other community groups. Some of this work is dependent on external funding which is likely to be decided in the autumn. For further information see the ‘Plastic Free Community’ toolkit.
Strategy & Resources Committee (12 July)
Sub Rooms: The final arrangements for the transfer of the Sub Rooms from SDC to Stroud Town Council (STC) have been agreed and signatures on contracts will be signed shortly. STC will buy the Sub Rooms for £1 and SDC will repair the roof before 1 April 2019, the handover date. SDC will also support it with a £230k grant to help with the transition during 2019 to 20, beyond which SDC will have no further financial involvement.
Cllr Tucker sits on a Task & Finish Group that is looking at the future and options for the Tourist Information Centre (TIC), which is currently located in the Sub Rooms. STC have stated that their re-generation plans for the Sub Rooms do not provide for a TIC and that they do not wish to host a ‘regional’ tourist office elsewhere in Stroud. Meetings continue to reach a compromise.
Capital projects: The potential development of Brimscombe Port continues well, with tentative agreements from Glos Highways on access problems and the Environment Agency, regarding flood alleviation. Engineering surveys, to view design solutions for the passage of both the river and the canal though the site, have been completed by consultants and ways of overcoming the infrastructure problems presented.
Meetings attended by Cllr Tucker during July:
NNPC (1 July)
Meeting with SDC Alliance Group Leaders (2 July)
Planning Review Panel (10 July)
Strategy & Resources Committee (12 July)
Meeting with SDC Alliance Group Leaders (16 July)
Stroud District Full Council meeting (19 July)
Meeting with David Drew MP (20 July)
Meeting with Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (and canal trip!) (20 July)
SDC meeting on Car Park charges (24 July)
Interview Panel meeting for CEO replacement (24 July)
Monthly Meeting with CEO (30 July)
New Chief Executive Officer candidates’ presentations and interviews (31 July)
Meetings attended by Cllr Butcher during July:
North Nibley Parish Council meeting (1 July)
National Democracy Week talk at Stratford Park
Stroud District Full Council meeting (19 July)
Development Control Committee (24 July)
Wotton Town Council Meeting (16 July)
Meetings attended by Cllr Braun during July:
Task & Finish Group Meetings on Single Use Plastics (9 July & 23 July)
Wotton in Bloom judging day (5 July)
Strategy & Resources Committee (12 July)
Housing Committee Visioning Day (13 July)
Wotton Town Council Meeting (16 July)
Stroud District Full Council meeting (19 July)
Bearlands Site Visit (20 July)
Development Control Committee (24 July)
Charfield Stakeholder Liaison Group meeting / Greenway Group (25 July)
New Chief Executive Officer candidates’ presentations (31 July)