Listed buildings can be all sorts of structures including telephone boxes, letter boxes, walls and gates as well as what we all recognise as buildings. National Planning Policy Framework and its associated document Historic Environment Planning Practice Guide states that a listed building is one "of special architectural or historic interest". The primary legislation controlling listed buildings is the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

Buildings are listed/de-listed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport advised by English Heritage. The listing is periodically reviewed by English Heritage. Anyone can ask for a building to be listed or de-listed. They should support their request to the department with a clear map identifying the location of the property, plans, photographs and a clear explanation of why they are seeking inclusion or deletion from the list. An application form can be found at English Heritage.

There are three grades of listed building:

• Exceptional interest - Grade I
• Particular importance - Grade II*
• Special interest - Grade II

What is listed?

When a building is listed the whole of the structure is listed:

• internally and externally
• interior fixtures and fittings
• garden structures and ornaments if they were part of the original scheme
• structures attached to the listed building and separate buildings/structures within its boundaries, which were there before 1 July 1948

Why are buildings listed?

The following are the main criteria applied when deciding which buildings to include in the statutory lists:

• Architectural interest: all buildings which are of importance to the nation for the interest of their architectural design, decoration and craftsmanship. Also includes important examples of particular building types and techniques and significant plan forms
• Historic interest: buildings which illustrate important aspects of the nation's social, economic, cultural or military history
• Close historical association: with nationally important people or events
  
• Group Value: where buildings form an important architectural or historic unity or a fine example of planning (such as squares, terraces or model villages)

Not all these criteria will be relevant to every case, but a particular building may qualify for listing under more than one of them

Listed Buildings in the Stroud District

You can now view Listed Buildings in the Stroud District using English Heritage national heritage list.

The National Heritage List for England is a searchable database of all nationally designated heritage assets including Listed Buildings, Scheduled Monuments, Registered Parks and Gardens, Registered Battlefields and Protected Wreck Sites. Find out more about the The National Heritage List for England.

For guidance relating to casement windows in our area please view the following guide:

• Guidance Sheet - 1046kb, PDF

Conservation areas are designated by the district council when an area is recognised to have a special character or appearance worthy of protection. Within conservation areas there are greater restrictions over works which require planning permission. Applications for planning permission for new development in conservation areas are more rigorously assessed to consider whether proposals preserve or enhance the special character or appearance of the conservation area.

A number of special controls and requirements apply in conservation areas to protect their character:

• consent is needed to demolish buildings and other structures
• new development must be well designed and the use of in-keeping traditional natural materials will normally be required
• new buildings, extensions and alterations must preserve or enhance the appearance of the conservation area. Most minor household alterations affecting external appearance (windows, roofing, installation of satellite dish, fencing and so on) are likely to require planning permission
• trees in conservation areas are protected. For trees not already protected by tree preservation orders (where this applies), a notification must be submitted to the council's trees officer six weeks before any works to a tree are due to start

If you live in a conservation area and are thinking about carrying out alterations to your property, demolishing a building or carrying out work to trees, it is recommended that you first seek advice from the council as planning permission or conservation area consent may be required.

Below shows all the current Conservation Areas in Stroud District. A process of assessment and review is underway and Conservation Area Statements (CAS) are being produced for each one. Given the number of conservation areas in Stroud District, this is a lengthy process and we are only able to produce a small number per year.

A Conservation Area Statement consists of two parts:

• A character appraisal. This identifies what it is that makes each conservation area distinctive and highlights the features of special architectural or historic interest that contribute to its character and appearance.
• A set of management proposals, designed to ensure the preservation or enhancement of the conservation area's character or appearance. This usually includes policies, enhancement proposals, boundary amendments, design guidance and the identification of any buildings at risk. Management proposals for conservation areas must be adopted as Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD), forming part of the Stroud District Local Development Framework.

View the links below to find out where the review and appraisal process has got to for each of the District's conservation areas. You can view adopted and draft CAS documents. During periods of public consultation for each review, you can use these pages to make comments and get involved.

Conservation Area No.1 - Wotton-Under-Edge

Conservation Area No.2 - Amberley

Conservation Area No.3 - Box

Conservation Area No.4 - Minchinhampton

Conservation Area No.5 - Berkeley

Conservation Area No.6 - Bisley

Conservation Area No.7 - Frampton on Severn

Conservation Area No.8 - Kingswood

Conservation Area No.9 - Alderley

Conservation Area No.10 - South Woodchester

Conservation Area No.11 - Miserden

Conservation Area No.12 - Pitchcombe

Conservation Area No.13 - Painswick

Conservation Area No.14 - Nympsfield

Conservation Area No.15 - Stinchcombe

Conservation Area No.16 - Stroud Top of the Town

Conservation Area No.17 - Stroud - The Shambles

Conservation Area No.18 - Stroud - Central

Conservation Area No.19 - Chalford Hill

Conservation Area No.20 - Chalford Vale

Conservation Area No.21 - Dunkirk & Watledge

Conservation Area No.22 - Ebley Mills

Conservation Area No.23 - France Lynch

Conservation Area No.24 - Lodgemore & Fromehall

Conservation Area No.25 - Longfords Mills

Conservation Area No.26 - Stanley Mills

Conservation Area No.27 - St Mary's & Belvedere

Conservation Area No.28 - Stroud Station

Conservation Area No.29 - Stroud Industrial Heritage

Conservation Area No.30 - Uley

Conservation Area No.31 - Nailsworth

Conservation Area No.32 - Dursley

Conservation Area No.33 - Woodmancote

Conservation Area No.34 - Stratford Park

Conservation Area No.35 - Gyde House

Conservation Area No.36 - Randwick

Conservation Area No.37 - Sharpness Old Dock

Conservation Area No.38 - Eastcombe

Conservation Area No.39 - Saul

Conservation Area No.40 - Bussage and Brownshill

Conservation Area No.41 - Sheepscombe

Conservation Area No.42 - Arlingham

If you wish to get involved in this area and would like to know more about volunteering opportunities, have an interest in offering your skills or have your own ideas about projects then please do not hesitate to contact the Volunteer Manager for the canal project at Stroud District Council.

• Email the Volunteer Manager

June 2013

Waterway Renaissance Awards: We successfully scooped four awards at the annual Waterway Renaissance Awards dinner last week. We won the Design & Construction category, which was for structures between Ebley and Wallbridge. We earned Runners-Up in the Leisure & Tourism category (Stroud on Water) and Volunteering (the Tuesday and Thursday groups). The podcast heritage trail, with its 22 QR code posts earned a well-deserved Highly Commended. The Waterways Renaissance Awards recognise exceptional projects that are helping to care for canals and rivers across the UK. Reaching the finals in four categories and coming away with four certificates very much confirms the Cotswold Canals Project as the leading restoration in the country.

Vote Canals:

This Friday is the deadline for representations in support of our two bids to the Gloucestershire Local Transport Body. Our applications are for £1.5m to fund a new railway bridge at Stonehouse Ocean (the canal is currently blocked here) and for £650k to upgrade the canal towpath (Thames & Severn Way) between Saul and Chalford, providing a safe router for cyclists and walkers. All the eligible bids can be found at http://www.gltb.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=113439 , along with contact details for your support.

Ebley : The new swing bridge outside Ebley Mill has now been installed by the developer. It has been swung successfully, but is now awaiting completion of the brickwork and access path, especially on the Mill side. A civic opening is being planned for late July.

The new Cotswold Canals Trust trip boat Endeavour has now started doing public pleasure trips. These will be fully publicized as soon as crew training is complete. Fundraising to pay for Endeavour is underway and has been helped by a substantial grant from Stroud District Council.

Dudbridge: Construction of the flood wall at Avocet Park is now complete and the towpath reopened as promised on 24 th May. Discussions with the lowest bidder have resulted in the price for refurbishing the two Dudbridge Locks being reduced to an acceptable figure. It is hoped that the contract will be placed imminently, with a start on site this month.

Capels Mill : The main contractors have now left the site. The last major jobs involved filling the new canal channel with 5 million litres of water – equivalent to 2 Olympic swimming pools – and reprofiling the site. The new path over the site has been laid, though not topped, and it is planned to seed the site with a grass and wildflower mix in the near future.

Filling the channel has caused the water level at Wallbridge to drop dramatically. The problem is that the canal is now at proper design depth, which is not allowing water to trickle through the silted up length at Cheapside. We are looking at ‘quick fix' solutions including back pumping (most likely) or digging a small channel to allow a through flow.

Towpath

The Tuesday and Thursday volunteer groups are operating from the compound at Ham Mill Lock and have completed the base for the upgraded towpath as far west as Jubilee Bridge. They have now switched to rebuilding the towpath south towards Bagpath Bridge and are making good progress with edge boarding and the aggregate base layer.

Community Payback workers with REACH are now based at Hope Mill and are busy rebuilding the towpath north towards Bagpath Bridge. This includes a challenging section past the mobile homes owing to high water level and a low-lying path.

May 2013

Vote Canals:

We need your support in our two bids to the Gloucestershire Local Transport Body. Our applications are for £1.5m to fund a new railway bridge at Stonehouse Ocean (the canal is currently blocked here) and for £650k to upgrade the canal towpath (Thames & Severn Way) between Saul and Chalford, providing a safe router for cyclists and walkers. All the eligible bids can be found at http://www.gltb.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=113439 , along with contact details for giving your support.

Ebley : The stone cairn outside Ebley Mill has now been built by volunteers from Stroud College . This will accommodate the mosaic, currently in Ebley Mill reception, which was designed and made a few years ago by pupils at St Matthews School, Cainscross.

Meanwhile, contractors working for the developers have now finished pouring concrete for the new pedestrian swing bridge at Ebley Mill. The bridge will be installed as soon as it arrives from Portugal !

The new Cotswold Canals Trust trip boat Endeavour is now permanently moored just downstream of Ebley Mill. Crew training is underway and she has already undertaken two chartered trips. Pleasure trips will begin as soon as a crew has been trained. Fundraising to pay for Endeavour is underway and has been helped by a substantial grant from Stroud District Council.

Dudbridge: Construction of the flood wall at Avocet Park has been delayed by the late delivery of bricks. This unfortunately means that the towpath between Hilly Orchard and Chestnut Lane will remain closed until around 24 th May. The wall will ensure that any high water levels in the canal do not affect the business park.

Dudbridge Locks: Tenders for lock refurbishment have been returned, but unfortunately are substantially over budget; possible solutions are being examined.

Capels Mill : Around 1800 people visited our Public Open Days here last weekend, which gave people the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk in the new concrete canal channel before it is filled with water. All concrete pouring has now been finished and contractors are busy reprofiling the site, erecting fencing etc. They should be finished in a couple of weeks.

Bowbridge : Tenders for constructing a new bridge and a retaining wall below the veterinary surgery have been returned, but unfortunately are again substantially over budget. Possible solutions are being examined, but inevitably this will result in a delay.

Towpath

The Tuesday and Thursday volunteer groups are now operating from the compound at Ham Mill Lock and have completed the base for the upgraded towpath as far west as Jubilee Bridge. They will now start work on building a full width towpath from Ham Mill Lock east towards Bagpath Bridge .

Community Payback workers with REACH have completed the surfacing from Bowbridge Lock almost to Griffins Mill Lock at Thrupp. They have now moved to a base at Hope Mill to start towpath upgrading west towards Bagpath Bridge .

Waterway Renaissance Awards: Our four Waterway Renaissance Award applications all made it through to the final! The results will be announced at the Waterway Renaissance Award dinner on 23 rd May. The projects were last year's Stroud on Water Festival, the flood defence work between Dudbridge and Ebley, the podcast heritage trail (‘Along the Cotswold Canals') and the Thursday Volunteer Group.

April 2013

Ebley : Volunteers from the Tuesday group have created a landing stage adjacent to Ebley Cloth Mills Bridge . This will permit the Cotswold Canals Trust to begin trip boat operations with Endeavour , which should be craned into this stretch of water later this month.

Dudbridge: Contractors have now begun construction of a flood wall at Avocet Park . This will ensure that any high water levels in the canal do not affect the business park. Because of this, access to the towpath from Dudbridge Bridge (and vice versa) will not be possible for about 4 weeks.

Dudbridge Locks: The contract for the lock refurbishment is out to tender, with returns due this month. Work can be expected to begin in June. This will include restoring the canal between the locks to its original depth and width, which will allow an adequate water supply for operating the lower lock.

Capels Mill : The concrete canal channel East of the railway viaduct is being cast in 10 sections, of which two thirds are so far complete. All excavation work is finished, though earthworks to reprofile the old rubbish tip are due to start shortly. Public Open Days are scheduled here for the afternoon of Friday 10 th May and the morning of Saturday 11 th May. Weather permitting, these will give a unique opportunity for people to walk in the new length of canal channel before water is allowed in.

Cheapside : A contract to clear the canal channel between Wallbridge and Capels Mill should be put out to tender in June, for a start in August/September. It will not be possible to dredge to full depth and width, as there have been landslips here in the past. Great care has to be taken not to destabilize the slopes. Works to hold back the slopes – eg piles – would be prohibitively expensive.

Bowbridge : The contract for constructing a new road bridge over the canal is out to tender, again with returns due this month. The new bridge will sit directly alongside the old bridge and permit two-way traffic. At present, the old bridge sits alongside a short area of infill. The contract also includes construction of a retaining wall immediately below the vets' car park. This will permit the lock edges to be cut back, thereby accommodating the balance beams for lock gates. Restoration of the lock will be carried out by volunteers once the retaining wall is completed. Volunteers from the Tuesday and Thursday groups have virtually completed upgrading of the towpath East of Bowbridge Lock up to Stanton 's Bridge. The top surfacing will be applied by REACH in due course. Work is now continuing to the east, while a sub group has started work at Ham Mill and is heading westwards. This section is extremely narrow and in most cases it will not be possible to achieve the 2m standard width.

Griffins Mill Lock : Restoration work by Cotswold Canals Trust volunteers is progressing well, ably assisted by Waterway Recovery Group (WRG) work camps. The project has benefited recently due to WRG camps elsewhere being cancelled due to the weather – and our ability to accommodate displaced camps at short notice.

Ham Mill Lock: WRG volunteers held their first weekend work camp here on 16 th /17 th March and another over the Easter weekend. They will continue working here at least one weekend per month until November, together with two week-long work camps in August.

Waterway Renaissance Awards: Judging of four award applications took place last week; we should know the results next month. The projects were last year's Stroud on Water Festival, the flood defence work between Dudbridge and Ebley, the podcast heritage trail (‘Along the Cotswold Canals') and the Thursday Volunteer Group.

March 2013

Bridge House, Ebley: A small team of volunteers has begun work on restoring the circular spill weir in the owner's garden; it is easily viewable from the towpath. It is an important heritage feature and restoration will include an interpretation panel. Although the level of the canal is no longer governed by this weir, a small water supply will keep it looking the part!

Dudbridge: REACH has virtually finished work to raise the towpath between Hilly Orchard and Dudbridge Bridge .

Dudbridge Locks: The contractors have now left the site. The towpath is fully open and affords an excellent view of the lock bypass channel. Recently completed work includes the fitting of bright green eel matting, which will allow eels to migrate upstream against the current. The channel will come into use once the locks are refurbished and will carry river flow around them.

Volunteers from the Cotswold Canals Trust are now busy preparing to fit the 22kW hydro-electric turbine. The old Marling school rugby field has been re-fenced and will be topsoiled and graded when the weather permits.

The contract for the lock refurbishment will be put out to tender shortly, with work to be undertaken during the summer. This will include restoring the canal between the locks to its original depth and width, which will allow an adequate water supply for operating the lower lock.

Capels Mill : The concrete canal channel East of the railway viaduct is being cast in 10 sections, of which 3 are so far complete. The concrete support piles for 3 more are being driven this week. Nearer the viaduct, two more sections will be piled as soon as archaeological assessment of the brick and stone remnants of the original Capels Mill has been completed. Overall, 80% of this section of canal has been excavated. We are hoping to hold a public Open Day here after Easter, which – weather permitting – will give a unique opportunity for people to walk in the new length of canal channel before water is allowed in.

Bowbridge : Volunteers from the Tuesday and Thursday groups have virtually completed upgrading of the towpath East of Bowbridge Lock up to Stanton 's Bridge. The top surfacing will be applied by REACH in due course. Work is now continuing to the east, while a sub group has started work at Ham Mill and is heading westwards. This section is extremely narrow and in most cases it will not be possible to achieve the 2m standard width.

Griffins Mill Lock : Cotswold Canals Trust (CCT) volunteers have pumped out the lock, allowing brickwork repairs to be finished as soon as the weather is warm enough for the use of lime mortar. They will be assisted through the summer by Waterway Recovery Group volunteers from the main work camps at nearby Ham Mill.

Ham Mill Lock: WRG volunteers are holding their first weekend work camp here on 16 th /17 th March. They will be working here at least one weekend per month until November, together with two week-long work camps in August.

Waterway Renaissance Awards: Four of our five applications for awards have made it through to the next round of judging – last year's Stroud on Water Festival, the flood defence work between Dudbridge and Ebley, the podcast heritage trail and the Thursday Volunteer Group.

February 2013

Ocean Bridge , Stonehouse: Difficulties in operating this hand-wound swing bridge remain. Our own engineers have assessed it and found that it does not appear to be swinging evenly. Certainly the mechanism does not run smoothly and the bridge could be out-of-balance. Whilst not having an operable bridge in terms of boating is not currently a problem, the contractor is expected to resolve the problem before final payment is made.

Dudbridge: REACH continues work to raise the towpath between Hilly Orchard and Dudbridge Bridge .

Dudbridge Locks: Work here is virtually complete, though it has inevitably been delayed by high water levels. The contractors are now expected to be off-site by 15 th February. Before then, snagging works to the channel and outstanding works to the wall above the hydro-electric chamber outlet need to be completed. The old Marling school rugby field will be re-fenced over half term.

Potential contractors for the lock refurbishment have now been put through the pre-qualification process, preparatory to tenders being invited this month. Near Dudbridge Road, trial holes have been dug to exactly locate the gas main, enabling a new flood wall to be built; this work is out to tender.

Chestnut Lane: The new swing bridge is again unserviceable, the problem appearing to be a cable fault, perhaps caused by flooding. Investigations are underway to locate the problem. The brick wall behind the control cabinet is complete and protective railings around the structure are being installed.

Capels Mill : The last of the 53 special ground anchors has finally been installed, a layer of gravel 25-30m below ground level having caused problems. The anchors are intended to ‘tie in' the concrete piled wall, which holds back the hillside – which largely consists of 1970s domestic refuse! This final anchor still needs to be tested and stressed. Works to reduce the level below the piled wall have begun, with surplus soil being removed from the site. This will eventually permit construction of the concrete channel which will carry the canal East of the railway viaduct.

Bowbridge : Volunteers from the Tuesday and Thursday groups are now busy upgrading the towpath East of Bowbridge Lock. This section is extremely narrow and in most cases it will not be possible to achieve the 2m standard width.

Griffins Mill Lock : Cotswold Canals Trust (CCT) volunteers have finished rebuilding the offside wall and are now focusing on removing defective brickwork from the towpath side. They have also installed stop plank grooves. Work here has been delayed by high water levels.

Ham Mill Lock: With Heritage Lottery funding now extending only from Stonehouse to Bowbridge, all work East of Bowbridge will have to be carried out by volunteers. The Waterway Recovery Group has now committed to working at least one weekend per month at Ham Mill Lock (Thrupp) between March and November, together with two week-long work camps in August.

Trip Boat : The CCT trip boat, now named Endeavour , is now in the water at Saul Junction and can be seen from the public car park. Crew training will begin shortly and she will begin passenger services from Ebley Mill in the spring.

The basics of how a planning application is processed.

• Basic Plan Process

Making a householder application

• Making a Householder Planning Application

Advice Notes Documents

• Micro Renewable Installations (Word)
• Micro Renewable Installations
• Planning Obligations Advice Note
• Supplementary Advice: Renewable Energy
• Discharge of Conditions
  

The planning service is responsible for a wide range of issues. These include planning, listed building and conservation area applications, appeals, enforcement and related compliance matters. Planning policy issues, including the preparation of the Council's Local Plan and Local Development Framework are also dealt with by the service.

• Planning Charter (PDF 36 KB)

Our customers:

Customers of the planning service fall under many categories. These can include: those applying for planning permission, those making representations on applications, Town and Parish Councils, the business community, Councillors, other parts of the Council, Statutory Bodies, interest groups, and other organisations interested in planning applications and the local planning process.

Our commitment to you:

We aim to provide a friendly, courteous and prompt service and strive to maintain high professional standards. This allows us to make the best possible decisions for local communities.

In particular, we aim to achieve the following general service standards:

• Answer telephone calls promptly during office hours
• Respond to telephone messages within one working day when requested
• Respond to letters and e-mail communications with a full or interim reply within 10 working days
• Deal fairly with complaints about the service, in accordance with the Council's Complaints procedure
• Continue to maintain and update the Development Services website to keep users informed about changes to procedures, e.g. legislation and fees
  

Our aims with regard to specific departments within Development Services are in the full charter available to download at the top of the page

Referring applications to Development Control Committee:

The Council’s constitution contains the rules on what applications are dealt with by officers, and which ones can, on request, be referred to the Development Control Committee.

In short, all applications are determined by officers unless the Chair of the Committee or the Head of Planning feels that it should be referred. The accepted criteria is that the application raises issues that will have an effect beyond the local area.

The Chair of the Committee will accept requests from town and parish councils or the district councillor for that ward.

It should be noted that the Case Officer handling the file merely makes a recommendation to either the Committee or to a panel for peer review. The peer review for most applications will involve at least two principal planners or managers, none of whom have been actively involved in the project.

If you think someone is carrying out work without planning permission, you can contact our Enforcement Officer on 01453 754225 or use the Report It link. Please note that anonymous complaints will not be dealt with. The Council's policy on Enforcement is available for you to view below.

• Adopted Enforcement Policy (PDF 79 KB)

Infrastructure, services and amenity facilities are important within the Stroud District. The planning system operates in the public interest and aims to foster sustainable development, providing homes, investment and jobs in a way that adds to rather than detracts from the quality of the environment.

These objectives are achieved through the preparation of Development Plans and exercise of our development control functions.

The current sums for Youth/Adult Facilities and Equipped Play Spaces for each and every qualifying dwelling are:

Number of Bedrooms in a dwelling	Youth/Adult Facilities	Equipped Play Spaces	Total
1	£1,196	£0	£1,196
2	£1,196	£242	£1,438
3	£1,196	£490	£1,686
4+	£1,800	£490	£2,290

 

Planning Obligations, also known as Section 106 Agreements, are negotiated between local authorities and developers in the context of granting planning permission. They provide a means to ensure that a proposed development contributes to the provision of necessary infrastructure and facilities required by national and local planning policies. To assist applicants and their legal advisors, the Council has prepared three skeleton agreements covering the key points. A first draft of the agreement should be submitted with any relevant application. Currently these cover:

• Housing and large developments - Draft Section 106 Agreement- PDF 112 KB
• For holiday lets - RTF
• For domestic annexes - RTF

Local Plan Ref	Parish	Site Name	Capacity	Obligations identified in the Local Plan
HG4	HG4	Land north of Dudbridge Hill	80	Affordable housing – 30% Securing access to, and improvements to, the footpath/cycleway to the east of the site. Contribution towards bus facilities.
HG5	Cainscross	Chashes Green Hospital	40	Affordable housing Securing the use of the adjoining allotment site as allotments readily available to local people. Provision of equipped toddlers’ play area (LAP) on-site and its maintenance.
HG7	Stroud	Bisley Old Road Allotments	45	Contribution towards the improvement of the bis service alond Bisley Old Road Traffic calming measures along Bisley Old Road Affordable housing
HG10	Stroud	Former Stroud Valley Scjool, Ryeleaze Road	15	Affordable housing Contribution towards the improvement of existing footpaths and provision of a new pedestrian crossing at Ryeleaze Road, to enable access to Stroud town centre
HG13	Thrupp	Land between Hope Mill Lane and London Road	30	Construction of a road to enable a new separate access to the Hope Mills Trading Estate Provision of a footpath on Hope Mill Lane Substantial landscaping along the A419 to screen the development from the road and to ameliorate noise disturbance. Pedestrian crossing facilities on London Road. A bus stop and shelter on each side of London Road near the site. Given the substantial nature of other requirements in relation to this site, no affordable housing will be specifically required.
HG21	Kings Stanley			Affordable houses Contribution towards bus facilities

Developers should also be aware that contributions may also be required for play/open space, highways, education and library service. For pre-application discussions please contact the Development Management Team: planning@stroud.gov.uk

The Planning Obligations Advice Note available to download below, explains when and where Planning Obligations are used, why they are necessary and how the Council take Planning Obligations into account.

• Planning Obligations Advice Note

Many advertisements and signs can be displayed without the need for consent. There are however a number of signs that require permission before they can be erected. The following link to the Department of Communities and Local Government website provides some information on the types of advertisements and signage that require express permission.
www.gov.uk/browse/housing/planning-permission

If you are unsure if permission is necessary, please send a detailed drawing of the sign or advertisement including details of any illumination for an opinion as to whether permission is necessary to:

The Enquiries Officer
Development Control
Ebley Mill
Westward Road
Stroud
Glos GL5 4UB

If Stroud District Council refuse your request for permission to display a sign or advertisement, you may appeal.

It is illegal to display a sign or advertisement without consent, or knowingly allow someone else to display a sign or advertisement without consent. You may be prosecuted in the Magistrates Court. Restrictions also apply to displaying a sign or advertisement on listed buildings.

You can view all Current Planning Appeals and also a list of Planning Appeal Decisions. In addition to this there is advice below about what you can do if your application is refused as well as information about planining permission conditions.

What if my planning application is refused?
If your planning application is refused and you think that the proposal could be altered to make it more acceptable it can be submitted again with different plans. In certain circumstances another application fee may not be needed. However, the proposal must be of a similar nature. If you intend to submit another application, you should discuss this with the case officer. The alternative is to appeal against the refusal by contacting the Planning Inspectorate and obtaining the necessary forms. Normally this must be submitted within 6 months of the decision, however, if the proposal is retrospective, and an enforcement notice is in place, the time limit is 28 days.

Further information on lodging an appeal can be found on the Planning Inspectorate's website: www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk

Planning Permission Conditions
Some planning permissions will be granted subject to a condition or conditions that you have to agree certain matters (e.g. building materials) with the Council before the scheme is started. This agreement must be made in writing and you should contact the Council as soon as possible and certainly before any work starts.

If you do not agree with Conditions attached to a Planning Permission, you could make another application to try and get planning permission without such conditions; however the Council will have put the conditions on for a good reason and the alternative to an unconditioned permission is likely to be a refusal of permission.

Unless circumstances have changed since the planning permission was granted it is likely that the conditions will have to remain. You should discuss this with the case officer. The alternative is to appeal against the conditions by contacting the Planning Inspectorate. www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk

Trees offer great benefit to the residents in the Distruct as they:

• produce oxygen. Two mature trees will provide all the oxygen a family of four needs for life
• absorb pollutants and reduce dust levels
• help cut noise pollution
• provide shade for car parking and help reduce skin cancer levels
• cool the air in built up areas by evaporating water from their leaves
• punctuate the changes in the seasons
• feed and shelter wildlife
• form “green corridors” connecting urban habitats with each other and with the countryside
• reduce wind speeds reducing heat loss from buildings
• leafy streets, trees can increase property prices by up to 7% (Source, National Urban Forestry Unit)
• improves concentration levels in schools and reduces stress level for adults at work when they can see nearby trees, according to research
• help prevent flash flooding following heavy rainfall

Trees that are considered to be of amenity value can be subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). Once an Order has been served it is an offence to then fell or prune protected trees without prior consent.

Download a guide to Tree Protection & Preservation below:

• Guide to Tree Protection & Preservation (PDF 546 KB)

Formal permission is not required to fell protected trees that are dead, dying or dangerous. However, unless the situation demands emergency action, it is necessary to contact the Councils Arboricultralist who will be able to advise whether or not the tree is within this category. The Council may agree to the removal of a protected tree, but the owner will normally be required to replace the tree with one of a suitable species and size.

Trees that are within a Conservation Area are protected in much the same way as those with a Preservation Order on them. If you intend to carry out work to trees within a conservation area you need to complete and return the application form. You must give at least six weeks notice in writing to the Council if you intend to carry out work to trees in a Conservation Area.