Stroud District Councillors’ Report

February 2019



Summary of SDC Wotton Ward Councillors’ Council meetings and local business.


SDC Matters



Council Tax agreed

On 21 February, District Councillors approved council tax bills for the next financial year. The council tax precepts for Stroud District Council, Gloucestershire County Council, the Police & Crime Commissioner, and parish and town councils have all increased this year. An average household in the Stroud district will pay £35.39 per week in council tax from April, £3.99 of which will go directly to Stroud District Council.


As previously noted, funding in future years for the council is currently uncertain with changes expected to funding schemes, including retained business rates and the New Homes Bonus. These changes will be considered in wider reviews of local government funding being carried out by central government.


Tenant Representatives

The Full Council meeting approved the appointment of two new Tenant Representatives to join the Housing Committee - Laetitia Gardner and Juliet Smith will replace Sadie Tazewell and Ian Allen who have now completed their two year term of appointment.



Older People’s Housing

The Housing Committee (5 Feb) discussed the results of research on Older People’s Accommodation, which will be used to shape a new Older Person’s Strategy.


A telephone survey of 500 Stroud district residents on their expectations in relation to SDC’s older person’s accommodation found that two thirds of residents perceived the term ‘Sheltered Housing’ to be associated with older person’s accommodation where 24 hour care is provided. There have been a number of changes to the sheltered housing service over the past 5 years, and the results of the survey suggest that there is a need to rebrand sheltered housing with something which reflects the current service on offer.


The survey confirmed that 61% of residents interviewed, plan to retire in the Stroud district, with the majority having access to friends/family and/or social groups in the area.


Housing Committee supported the recommendations for the strategy, to:




Further information is available online on the survey results and recommendations.



Temporary Accommodation for homeless households

The Housing Committee agreed to proceed with purchasing a property in Stroud (the former Salvation Army building) and exploring the use of one or more SDC properties to provide 9 new units of temporary accommodation for homeless households from the District. At the moment, many homeless people have to be housed further away, in Travelodges or B&Bs - sometimes as far as Bristol or Worcester. The current situation is costly to the District Council and is detrimental to the individuals and households who are accommodated away from schools, support networks or places of employment (Report).


Stroud Subscription Rooms.

Everything is on track for the Sub Rooms to be transferred from SDC to Stroud Town Council and The Subscription Rooms Trust on the 28th March. Legal Contacts have been exchanged and previous glitches with pension funding has now been sorted. The cost saving to SDC will be around £260,000/annum.


SDC Peer Review and CEO meeting

SDC will shortly be undertaking a ‘peer review’, which is being carried out by external local government assessors and, dependant on the recommendations, it is possible that some restructuring within SDC will take place.

The proposed 13 week review between Group Leaders and new CEO Kathy O’Leary has been postponed, as Kathy is moving house. A new date will be arranged shortly.


Market Town Centres Initiative Funding, Wotton

Following representation by District Councillors, some unused regeneration funding was made available and a further £11,100 was added to the previous £28,000 funding made available to Wotton. District Councillors are working with SDC officers to try and make the funding stream more flexible in what it can be used for in our community locally. The current WTC resident survey will help decided how some or all this money can be spent.


Local issues


Holywell Road Planning Application. (S.18/2663/FUL)

Councillors were again pleased to fully support residents and the Holywell Action Group in opposition against the predatory application to build 2 properties on a site adjacent to the ancient well in Holywell Road, Wotton. Along with the Action Group, we are delighted that SDC officers saw fit to reject the application.


Lloyds Pharmacy, Wotton.

Following representation by Cllr Tucker regarding the significant poor service and problems at Lloyds Pharmacy in Wotton, the service has improved notably, with much reduced queues and better stock levels. Staff levels have also been increased and a new full-time manager has been appointed and started a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, the appointment of a permanent pharmacist did not occur within the timescale expected and therefore Lloyds are needing to recruit a replacement pharmacist.


Ashen Plains Camp Site, North Nibley

Following a large number of complaints regarding noise and unauthorised use of the site during 2017-18, the operators have now applied for a licence to sell alcohol, from 10:00 hours to 2300 hours every day of the week. Parish and District Councillors and residents think this is unreasonable and will undoubtedly add to the current nuisance and significant overbearing noise levels. Cllr Tucker is a member of the Licencing Panel, but as the site in question is in Wotton Ward (just!), he cannot sit on the hearing panel. However, he has been working with the parish council and residents on their representation to the Hearing Panel.


Ground works at Waterley Bottom, North Nibley

Following complaints from residents about new ground works at Waterley Bottom, Cllr Tucker has been in discussions with the planning enforcement team at SDC. As no planning permission has been sought for the developments, officers have subsequently spoken to the owner/agent. The owner has been told that permission is needed for this development and that works should stop until this has been granted, any further development on site will also be ‘at risk’. If permission is refused, then all existing works will have to be removed and the landscape returned as previous. As the work was started before any contact with SDC, there is no right to have a pre-application discussion with planning officers.


Missing Post Box at Stinchcombe.

Cllrs Butcher, Tucker and Braun have been supporting the Stinchcombe Parish Councillors’ call for the missing post box to be reinstated. It has been conclusively established that due to the removed post box nr St Cyr’s church, only 86% of properties are covered by existing boxes, where as OFCOM requires 98% coverage. We have spoken with some residents that are affected and have also written to The Post Office in support of its reinstatement.



Strategy & Resources Committee (Cllr Tucker) – no meeting in February.

Community Services and Licencing (Cllr Tucker) – no meeting in February.

Planning Review Panel (Cllr Tucker) – no meeting in February.

Housing Review Panel (Cllr Tucker, Cllr Braun) – no meeting in February.



Meetings attended by Cllr Tucker:



Meetings attended by Cllr Braun:



Meetings attended by Cllr Butcher

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