Firstly, thank you for your positive words about improvements Stroud Council has made to recycling services. Since July, not only have we seen an increase in the number of residents using recycling services, but we have also seen the amount of recycling collected increase significantly. Although we have yet to get a full years worth of data, we estimate that the recycling rate has increased from 25% to just under 31%.

We recognise that the council needs to do more to encourage more waste to be diverted from landfill. In the coming months we will be launching a new communications strategy, including updating our web pages so that householders have more information on what happens to waste and a way for residents to interact with each other and the council.

In terms of collections, many residents are starting to ask us about food and garden waste collections. Whilst there are no timescales associated with the introduction of these collections, we will work in the future to determine whether they can be introduced when the waste and recycling contract is retendered in 2016 or earlier.

As I am sure you will appreciate, kerbside collections require financial expenditure and at a time when budgets are constrained, we need to ensure that the service evolves without placing additional pressures on the council and council tax payers.

Thank you for your inquiry about the Living Wage. The District Council administration is now in the process of putting together a draft budget, and paying a Living Wage for council employees is included in those proposals.

The council provides recycling containers free of charge to households. The box is used for paper, card and cartons and a green wheelie bin is used for glass, plastic and metal. Today, I have posted you further information on the recycling service.

I have arranged for a box to be delivered to your property. If you do not have a green wheelie bin, please email and we will arrange for one to be delivered with your box.

Questions

1. The valley near my home is used by many dog walkers but a lot of people don’t collect their poo. When will you start enforcement action? When will you be placing poo bins at each of the public right of way entry/exits between Whiteshill and bread St?

2. I walked on Selsley common yesterday and today (Boxing Day) I'm pleased to see that a lot of people are collecting poo - but the single bin was overflowing and poo was piling up on the ground. When are you going to place bins at every parking area? Will you ensure that they are emptied EVERY day so that they don't become an even worse health hazard?

So yes, laws have consequences - maybe not what you intended but now is the time to face them and take on the responsibilities the council generated for itself.

Answer:

The orders aim to improve the environment in relation to dog fouling and dog control. Stroud District Council have a good history of successfully prosecuting for dog fouling complaints, in August 2011 a successful fine of £525 and December 2012 a fine of £400 was awarded.

In relation to dog control orders, follow up actions have already commenced. Members of the Environmental Health team, together with Council Neighbourhood Wardens and National Trust Rangers have already actively engaged many members of the public, advising them of the new legislation. To date over 500 dog walkers have been spoken with and handed an information leaflet. Signage will go up across the district on a phased basis to further assist members of the public in complying with the new orders and enforcement action will follow a lead in phase during which members of the public seen breaching a control order will be given the opportunity to comply.

We constantly assess how many dog bins are required across the district and feel that there is generally a pretty good coverage. However I appreciate there are no dog bins in the Bread St area. There are 3 listed for Whiteshill, two at the playing field and one on Lower St. I would suggest that should you have particular concerns please contact the Environmental Enforcement officer on 01453 754491 who would be more than happy to discuss whether additional bins could be placed in suitable areas in this vicinity.

I appreciate you advising that the bin on Selsley Common appears to require more regular emptying. The manager who oversees the contractors, who undertake this role has been advised of this matter. With over 300 bins across the district, we have what we feel is a good system of emptying bins depending on usage, but are always happy to request that certain bins that have a high usage are emptied more frequently. We haven't received any other complaints about the bin overflowing and it may be that it was particularly full on this occasion because of the Christmas break between collections. We plan, in conjunction with the National Trust to install 2 further bins in the car park areas of Selsley Common. Further bins are also planned for other car parks serving the Commons within the district, as well as on many of the footpaths used to access schools in the first instance, and other areas in due course.

Question:

What activities are SDC accountable for in relating to flood prevention and what actions have been undertaken, by either SDC or other accountable body, since the flood of 2007, to reduce flood risk in our area?

How can I get involved and be informed on discussions and planning?

We are getting a lot of flood alerts and were very nearly flooded in 2007. On the face of it simple precautions such as getting fallen trees and branches out of watercourses does not seem to be routinely or systematically addressed. Within a short walk of my home there are a number of blockages which have been around for some months or years.

I would be glad to send you images or perhaps we could share a walk around the local area... good chance for a photo-call! A couple of quick wins using the 80:20 rule could really help but it needs some clarity around accountability and some gentle (at first) policing.

Answers:

I can advise you that Gloucestershire County Council are the Lead Local Flood Authority under the provisions of the Flood and Water Management Act. However this Council has taken an active role in working with the County Council and the Environment Agency to alleviate the risk of property flooding in the district particularly since 2007. This Council has delivered 24 separate flood alleviation/protection schemes since 2007 with a total investment of over £450,000 from the multiagency flood protection fund. The most recent scheme was the installation of individual property flood protection measures in Bridgend Stonehouse at a cost of £72,000.

Following the floods of 2007 the council engaged with all the Parish Councils to establish a network of Watercourse Wardens nominated by the parishes to keep an eye on their local watercourses and report to this council obstructions to watercourses and culverts (such as fallen trees and branches) that could give rise to flooding problems in peak flow conditions. The council can then take appropriate steps to require the riparian owners to clear the obstructions before it becomes a serious problem. There are currently 21 Watercourse Wardens operating in the district. I would suggest that you report the obstructions you are aware of to our Environmental Health Service on 01453 754473.

If you wish to become more involved you may wish to approach your Parish Council to ask if they would be prepared to nominate you as a watercourse warden. The role is simply to note anything that could cause a potential obstruction to a watercourse when out walking in the locality and report it to the council for attention.

Although there were no recycling collections in the Stanleys w/c 24th December, refuse collections were rescheduled from 26th December to 27th. Information on the refuse and recycling changes were available on the council's website and in local papers throughout December.

It is clear that the information provided on recycling calendars, for those residents who were not scheduled to get a recycling collection w/c 24th December, was inadequate. Please accept my apologies for this.

For Christmas 2013 I will ensure that residents are provided with suitable information to inform them of any refuse and recycling collection date changed

Question

When will the responses gathered during the latest consultation on the Core Strategy be released?

I has been many months since the last consultation period finished and there has been very little news from the council and it seems plenty of progress from the developers point of view (including send surveyors out onto the land)

Answer

Thank you for question on the Ask the Leader website. Unfortunately it has taken longer than expected to register all the responses and categorise the issues that were raised in order that appropriate responses can be considered. It is intended that the response report will go to the Executive meeting on the on 20-12-2012.

Question

Could you please tell me why the Council want to bring in a new law making it illegal for me to walk my dogs on quiet country lanes with out a lead. There are many areas near me where I let my dogs walk without a lead. I find that it is a natural way to restrict cars to a more slower speed in the built up areas. They recognise that a dog, or small child might not walk always on a pavement, or grass verge, and slow. This law could be of detriment to small children, as car owners will feel safer travelling faster past walkers, Or perhaps the next law will be that all parents have to keep their child on reins, until they are responsible adults. Please dont pass this law, think again.

Answer

I think you may be referring to the original draft dog control order, which has since been revised and now looks for dog owners to keep their dogs on a lead on footpaths to and from schools. I have attached a link to the Council's website that details the current proposals in full.

http://www.stroud.gov.uk/opendata/dog_control_order.asp#s=sectioncontent1&p=dogorder

I trust the above is of assistance,

Question

In your figures for the new recycling, it has increased by 63 tons.and landfill, has fallen by 41.5 tons as we are not being precise here, where has the other 20 tons gone.makes me think positive spin on recycling?

Answer

Firstly, I would like to reassure you that no spin has been applied to the figures.

I fully appreciate your query in saying that if recycling is up by a certain amount, then landfill levels should have shown a similar decrease.  However, there are a few other factors that could have caused the recycling rate to increase more than the drop in landfill.  These include, but are not limited to:

• Residents no longer composting cardboard, instead placing it in the kerbside box.
• Items no longer being brought to Horsley or Hempstead household waste recycling facilities as they can now be recycled at the kerbside.  These facilities are operated by Gloucestershire County Council and are, therefore, not part of Stroud District Council's recycling rate.
• A reduction in the amount of waste that residents dispose of through bonfires

As the recycling service settles down, we will be gathering data from Gloucestershire County Council and understanding how resident's waste habits have changed to provide further detail on our waste figures.

Question

I would like to now the time scale for the relocation of Lister Petter and Lister Shearing and village green issue. These issues seem to dragging on and on, please can we have some leadership on these major decisions please.

Answer

There are currently discussions taking place on changes to the development programme at Littlecombe, and the exact time when Lister Petter and Lister Shearing move will depend on that programme.  So there is, for the moment, no definitive answer, but the timescale we are working on, as we have for some time, is the end of 2013. 

With respect to the village green issue, the District Council is not the relevant authority to receive or determine applications for Village Green designation, this is Gloucestershire County Council.  While the District is sharing background information with GCC, ultimately it is their legislative responsibility and not one where the District council has any jurisdiction.

Question

Is SDC, in conjunction with Gloucestershire Police, taking any action to implement the recommendations set out in the Department of Transport newsletter dated 21022011, sent to all council leaders? The content of the newsletter urges all councils to use their existing powers and apply new regulations to curb vehicles parking on the footpaths. If no action is to be taken, then will SDC give specific permission, to those vehicle owners, who commandeer part of the footpath for their permanent parking place?

Answer

Stroud District Council (SDC) continues to enforce parking on the pavements where restrictions are present. The ticket would be issued for parking on double/single yellow lines and not for parking on the pavement. This is possible due to the Traffic Regulation Order and subsequent restrictions being enforceable between the boundaries of properties/land on either side of the carriage way. In the absence of restrictions, SDC are unable to issue a penalty; in these situations SDC would inform the Police who are able to take action under their powers to enforce dangerous and obstructive parking.

The Gloucestershire County Council is responsible for the Traffic Regulation Orders covering the County. It would therefore be a decision they would make, as to if the recommendations provided by the Department Of Transport regarding the parking on pavements was something they would wish to pursue.

Question:

Could you please tell me if there is anything in place or in the pipeline regarding more play areas for teenagers? I am thinking along the lines of a outdoor basketball court (I have a place it could go) my teen son and many of his friends would like somewhere to go where they can practise in peace as at the moment and ones that are in the area are either taken by teens playing football in them, or there is just a net and not a full court, Or they have to travel to get a court out of the area. I have looked all over the SDC site and can't seem to find the right person to ask so thought id come to you.

Answer

Sport and Health Dev has no further plans or budget remaining to build play or sports areas, but is involved with new capital projects across the district being funded and led by Parish/Town Councils, sports clubs, voluntary group s and /or individuals (offering advice and guidance on where funding is, application writing, project mgt etc).

In terms of what is available at present:-

* The 5 builds connected to the SDC Play Strategy 2007 included 3 multi use games areas (MUGA's) - Kings Stanley, Lawnside (Nailsworth) and Uplands Recreation field (Stroud), all with full sized basketball hoops at both ends. To enable fulfilling Play England reqs and equity of access, these 3 builds have to be free and open access to the community and whilst I understand that they can be heavily biased to football, individuals and groups will have to persevere and find a way of playing together, as they are not designed for individual slots or sports.

* Stonehouse Old Ends Lane also has a MUGA with basketball hoops and is quieter then most MUGAs at present and could be an option (this is owned by Stonehouse Town Council)

* A single basketball hoop was placed next to the skate plaza at Stratford Park in Stroud and there may be an opportunity to concrete the area by it and possible add another hoop – Public Space has this project and would be able to clarify opps for it - This would be a better option for your son, as it would be basketball specific space.

You mentioned that you have a place where an outdoor basketball court could go - where did you have in mind? It may be worth speaking to your local parish or town council that it is in, as they may well have ideas to input a MUGA involving basketball and evidencing need would be their main priority.

Question:

Are there any plans to replace storage heaters with the more modern type that are cheaper to run, and use less carbon footprint?

Answer

When night storage heaters are replaced on an ad hoc basis, they are replaced with modern units that are more energy efficient than older units. We are currently using 'Unidare' Heaters and the range is designed to provide cost effective heating solutions. The input and output controls are user adjustable ensuring that desired comfort levels can be maintained.

However, if we have to replace a number of units in one property we consider if there are alternatives available. I.e. if there is a gas main we would install gas central heating, if there is no gas we would consider upgrading the heating to a renewable source (if the property is suitable) such as air to air or air to water. Both of these technologies are more energy efficient than night storage heating.

We do not yet have a planned programme for replacing night storage heaters for the whole district, but if we identify suitable projects, such as those we are undertaking at two Sheltered Schemes (Sherborne House and Dryleaze Court), we may undertake some wholesale replacement - in this case upgrading from night storage heating to gas central heating for 89 sheltered units.

Question:

Is SDC, in conjunction with Gloucestershire Police taking any action to support the recommendations set out in the Department of Transport newsletter dated 21/02/2011, sent to all council leaders, regarding the parking of vehicles on the footpaths.

Answer

To clarify, the responsible authority for decriminalised parking enforcement in Gloucestershire is the County Council, with the District Council contracted to enforce on-street regulations, such as lines and signs, on their behalf.

The District Council aims to tackle illegal parking wherever possible, however current local regulations do not extend to the enforcement of vehicles parked in a dangerous or obstructive manner. This responsibility remains with the Police to enforce, although we work closely with them to tackle such problems recognising the impact that indiscriminate parking can have on local people.

The District Council has spoken with the County Council regarding the recommendations set out in the Department for Transport letter you have referred to. As the responsible authority, they inform me that consideration for a traffic regulation order (TRO) to ban pavement parking should be exercised on an individual case basis allowing for the needs of the community to be met. In practice this means the County Council has the authority to identify locations that this process can be applied to.

For further information on this matter, please contact Parking Manager at Gloucestershire County Council on 01452 425000.

Question:

The facility for disposing of garden refuse in the green sacks (60p each) is no longer available to residents of Hardwicke. The Post Office no longer sells these bags and so, short of making long trips to Stroud or other areas a distance away from Hardwicke to purchase these bags, we, the residents of Hardwicke, are at a disadvantage to other areas within Stroud District Council area.

I do have four compost bins in my garden, but still have a large amount of garden refuse which I am unable to manage to take to the local council tip. This seems unfair that Hardwicke residents pay the same council tax as other areas but are short of a facility available to others by virtue of the fact that green sacks cannot be obtained in our area.

Can arrangements not be made rectify this?

Answer

Our Public Space team who look after the refuse and recycling contract are aware of the lack of provision in Hardwicke and are trying to rectify the situation. They have informed me that they have had discussions with the Parish Council in Hardwicke to identify potential retailers and will be contacting them in the coming days.

In the short term any resident can forward a cheque for the appropriate number of bags required, with a short covering letter/note to the address below. We will then post the bags to you.

Customer Services
Stroud District Council
Council Offices
Ebley Mill
Stroud
Glos
GL5 4UB

When a new retailer is found the Parish Council will be notified. Please do stay in contact with the Public Space department, who can update you on the latest situation.

Question:

With the Core Strategy under review again I am one of the many Cam residents very concerned that our lovely area is going to be swamped under 1,000 – 2,000 more houses. While I understand the Stroud District Council has got to build a certain amount of houses by 2026, do they have to be built all in one place? Cam and Dursley has seen its fare share of development over the recent years, with a lot still on going (Littlecombe site is a typical example).

I appreciate the Cam area will have to take some, but surely not 1,000 plus? If this is allowed to happen it will destroy the area for good.

Also when the original Core Strategy was under consultation last year, a business group came forward with a plan to redevelop Sharpness, this included taking most of the houses needed for the area. Is this being looked at this time around?

Answer

Cam is one of a number of options that have been put forward to accommodate part of the required growth in homes and related employment, however no decision has yet been made. Current estimates are that the district needs to plan for approximately 3500 new homes in addition to those that are already in the pipeline. Logically it is likely that the bulk of these will be in a small number of larger developments where employment and supporting services can be provided. Sharpness has also been put forward by developers/landowners and while we have yet to conclude the comparative assessment of different locations it does have some very significant drawbacks, primarily as a result of its relatively remote location, lack of existing infrastructure, lack of alternative transport modes and its poor potential to facilitate employment growth as a consequence.

Whatever the final approach, it is likely to be unpopular with those effected communities. Our challenge is to arrive at a solution that is underpinned with a clear logic as this will ultimately be tested by the planning inspectorate as we go through the Local Plan inquiry

Question

We would like to collaborate with the council on an event. It will be a benefit concert and we would like your support and sponsorship etc. The event is for raising funds.

We would like to host the event over the Saturday night being the concert and the Sunday a day for children. We are prepared to work with other local organisations such as SVA or The Subscription Rooms. Please can you put me in touch with the person responsible for helping with this kind of project?

Answer

Unfortunately, we are not in a position to provide financial assistance directly but would encourage you to use 'Grantnet' which is available through the Council's website. This database allows you to match your project to the most appropriate funder.

The other area where we may be able to assist is through the provision of a venue. Although a charge would still need to be made, the Subscription Rooms in Stroud offers a charitable rate to help support organisations like yourselves.

Finally, you suggested that you may like to work with organisations like SVA. The contact number for their John Street facility is 01453 751440.

Hoping this is of assistance to you.

Question

Can you please tell me when something is to be done about Tricorn House? The Council appears powerless to do anything about this appalling blot on the landscape. How much worse must the situation become before firm action is taken and the building repossessed or demolished? People in Stroud care about their surroundings and yet this terrible eyesore of a building is allowed to rot and decay before our eyes, without any action appearing to be taken by our Council.

Why should people be concerned about litter, tidy streets, graffiti, etc when this dreadful building is setting the tone for the town?

Please let me know your plans for dealing with this building.

Answer

Approximately three years ago the council sought to compulsorily acquire Tricorn House. The case was heard at a public inquiry where the council put forward a strong case without much defence from the current owners. We were dismayed and disappointed that in light of the strong case, the Government inspector refused to agree the purchase on the basis that we could not satisfactorily prove delivery as planning permission had not been granted for the replacement scheme. This was somewhat ironic as the Council as the planning authority gave evidence at the inquiry!

Since that time the owners have achieved a permission for a Care Home and when progress was very recently chased we received an email from the owner on the 30th September setting out the following:-

'As you are aware standards in Care Homes (and rightly so) are improving all the time. We obviously realise that for Tricorn House to be a success, meticulous pre-planning of the conversion and refurbishment are extremely important and there will be no leeway for mistakes to be made. We wish the facilities and standard of care to be the best in the area/community and want clients to choose us first specifically through reputation/standard of facilities etc. and to achieve this it will take some time before physical work can actually start. However, we will keep you informed and continue to monitor the building.

We are working tirelessly to prepare this project to a commencement point as we have described above. I do hope we have eased your mind.'

We have very little in terms of statutory powers (other than CPO) to make the development happen any sooner but will continue to keep the pressure on in any way we can.

Question

I would like to know what the Chief Exec, David Hagg earns. Is the information on remuneration published?

Also, are there any plans to instigate any salary reductions given the scale of the funding cuts?

Answer

The Chief Executive's pay has been published on our website for the past two years. It has also been published in the Council's Statement of Accounts 2009/10, as have all salaries above £50,000. His salary and full details can be found at http://www.stroud.gov.uk/info/cx/The_Chief_Executive_Remuneration.pdf

This part of the website called Open Data also contains other information you may find of interest http://www.stroud.gov.uk/opendata/opendata.asp

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has called for council chief executives paid in excess of £200,000 to take a 10% pay cut and for those over £150,000 to take a 5% pay cut. The average chief executive salary nationally is reported as £134,000.

The Council has agreed a balanced budget for 2011/12 and a four year budget plan 2011-15. As such, we have no proposals to cut our Chief Executive's pay or that of other staff. As part of his work, the Chief Executive is overseeing our budget reductions, efficiency savings and the 10% reduction in the workforce over 4 years (45 full time equivalent staff).

Question

Who do I ring for rating assessments?

Answer?

Rating assessments are dealt with the Valuation Office at Gloucester . The address is Valuation Office Agency, Ley Court , Barnett Way , Gloucester . GL4 7RT. Tel: 01452 360200 or after 1.3.2011 tel: 03000 505150.

A full list of rating assessments is available on their web site at www.voa.gov.uk

Question

What is the current expense allowance paid to the Leader of the Council?

Answer

Thank you for your enquiry. All Councillor Expenses and allowances are published on our website www.stroud.gov.uk under the heading 'Your Councillors'.

Question

Could you please tell me how to get a free bus pass -I was 60 last November.

Answer

If you are born between the 1 and 5 of November 1950 you will become eligible to apply for a bus pass from 6 May 2011.

If you are born between 6 and 30 of November 1950 you will become eligible to apply for a bus pass on the 6 July 2011.

When eligible please call Gloucestershire County Council on 01452 426265 or visit www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/buspass to apply online.

Question

Can you collect composts bins in order to save the 5.00 shipping charge if you live local?

Answer

Stroud District Council along with the other districts in Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire County Council, have been able to negotiate the subsidised price through a national company, based out of the area. As a result no stock is held within the county and therefore you will not be able to collect a bin.

I hope you will agree that even with the cost of postage, the prices quoted are quite favourable.