The vision for Brimscombe Port is to deliver a sustainable new residential-led mixed use development with a reinstated canal and canal basin at its heart, that meets the needs of both existing and future residents. By responding to the site’s unique characteristics with innovative and inspiring design; the Council aspires to create an exemplar scheme that integrates with the existing surroundings and improves and expands upon the site’s constraints and opportunities to enhance resident’s daily life.
The six objectives for the site are to:
The impact of this site cannot be underestimated in terms of its importance to the whole redevelopment of the valley, and the economic and strategic benefits to the area, acting as a catalyst for other development along the canal. It creates a destination for canal tourism, not only for the local canal network but also for the whole canal system, a nationally important landmark destination.
Historically Brimscombe Port was the country’s largest inland port, created to transfer goods from large sea going Severn Trows to Thames barges to navigate the narrower canal to the east. This link was promoted by local clothiers as well as London merchants to link with the Midlands. The Stroudwater Canal was finished in 1779 and the Thames and Severn Canal a decade later in 1789. Amazingly for that era the Port was capable of handling 100 vessels at a time.
Following the decline in canals the Port became redundant. The canal was in-filled in after the Second World War and the site developed as an industrial estate during the 1960/70’s.
Some historic buildings survive, including the Salt Warehouse and the Port Mill. Both are listed and charming stone buildings. Much of the site still acts as an industrial estate but has become unattractive and is showing signs of its age.
Initially Brimscombe Port was part of Phase 1a of the Cotswold Canal Restoration project, the original aim of which was to reinstate the canals from Stonehouse ‘Ocean’ to Brimscombe Port. The port was acquired in 2009 from British Waterways by Stroud Valleys Canal Company with grant funding from the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA); the expectation at that time was that it would deliver both a redeveloped port and provide funding for other sections of the canal.
After the property crash in 2009, subsequent marketing proved the site to be unviable without additional public investment. Phase 1a of the canal project was scaled back to finish at Bowbridge while additional funds were sought for the Port.
The site is now owned by Stroud District Council and is allocated in the Council’s Local Plan for 150 homes and is within the Industrial Heritage Conservation Area, being of significant cultural and historical value. It comprises part of the proposed reinstated Cotswold Canal and basin and so is unable to be developed for a non-canal related scheme. Once complete the Port will be the destination at the eastern end of the canal.
In 2015 the Council was successful in securing £2m from Homes England. The Council has since committed £2.9m to the project and has also received Land Release Funding through One Public Estate in the sum of £776k. Together these contributions have made the redevelopment more viable.
Due to the high abnormal costs of the site arising from the need for remediation of contaminated land, deculverting of the river and the re-instatement of the canal infrastructure, the project has been split into two phases.
The essential infrastructure to deliver Phase 1 includes the canal, basin, deculverted River Frome and a new access road off the A419. The reinstatement of the canal and basin, together with the raising of the level of the Port is required for flood alleviation measures to enable a residential led mixed use scheme to be delivered, which is also part of Phase 1.
Phase 2 will connect the redeveloped Port to the canal network with a canal and river crossing under Brimscombe Hill with corresponding alterations to the highway, including road and bridge works.
The design of the infrastructure for both phase 1 and 2 has been carried out by Atkins and has involved extensive hydrological modelling and liaison with the Environment Agency to ensure that the design does indeed take the site out of the flood plain but also demonstrates that there are no detrimental impacts downstream. Further canal re-instatement will then link to the canal beyond Canal Ironworks. Planning permission has been granted for the infrastructure design (Ref. S.19/1502/FUL) which is now extant due to the demolition works having been completed.
Once the canal infrastructure is constructed it will be transferred to Stroud Valleys Canal Company (SVCC) to own and manage with the rest of the reinstated Cotswold Canals.
Brimscombe Port is the destination at the eastern end of the Stroudwater Canal. The canal is being restored and a large section from Stonehouse through Stroud has been completed which is showing the amazing and wide-ranging benefits that the canal brings to the area. Stroud District Council and its partners have secured £8.9 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards connecting Stonehouse Ocean to Saul Junction with the Cotswold Canals Connected project which will link the canal to the National Canal network.
More funding will be required to deliver the next stage of the project, but once a new bridge and canal and river crossing are constructed under Brimscombe Hill and the missing length of canal to Stroud Brewery is reinstated the Port will then connect to the national canal network. Completing this penultimate section of canal will also mean that Stroud is one step closer to delivering a hugely important and previously lost heritage asset that provides an excellent national leisure attraction and a unique springboard for regeneration and sustainable economic development throughout the district.
This is an exemplar canal, heritage and biodiversity project, creating post-COVID regeneration, health and wellbeing and bringing economic, tourism and sustainable transport benefits to the whole district and wider area.
The original wish of the community to see the Port redeveloped, with a significant port basin, connected canal and mixed-use development was generated through community consultation in 2003-2005 and was described as ‘putting the heart back into Brimscombe’.
The site has been included in the Stroud District Local Plan for many years and consulted on as part of the local plan process. It is expected to deliver the canal restoration, a minimum of 150 homes, some commercial and community space.
The design of the enabling infrastructure, mainly comprising the canal and basin, new bridge, canal/river crossing and a new access into the site, is largely fixed by the need to comply with the Environment Agency and Highway Authority’s requirements, to deliver a navigable canal for SVCC and to meet the physical constraints of the site. Options to achieve this and to take the site out of flood risk are very limited and the engineering solution has been designed by Atkins.
The vision for the site is set out in the Output Specification . This was formed building on early community consultation and in discussions with the different stakeholders (e.g Parish Council, SVCC, District Councillors, Homes England) and tested with developers, and is set within the policy requirements of the (District) Local Plan
Following the receipt of planning approval for the demolition and infrastructure and Listed Building Consent on 24 March 2021, demolition of all of the buildings completed in June 2022. This enabled the Council to offer a cleared site when it procured a Developer, St Modwen Homes, in July 2022 However, in January 2025, St Modwen Homes was sold to Miller Homes who decided to review the whole St Modwen Homes portfolio of projects. Following a decision by the Miller Homes board, St Modwen Homes has now informed the Council that it will be withdrawing from the project.
The Council remains committed to this flagship project and is now exploring options with Homes England to find an alternative path.
Public funding is required to ensure the viability of the site due to the abnormally high infrastructure costs.
The Council has already invested £1 million in the project to de risk the site together with a further £1.6 million of capital funding approved in April 2018 and the surplus income off the Port from the current tenancies on the site. A £2 million loan from Homes England has also been secured and the Council has received Land Release Funding through One Public Estate in the sum of £776K. This funding assists with the viability of this complex project and provided developers with more confidence when putting forward their proposals.
Private sector investment is required to carry out the redevelopment proposals (build the houses, commercial and public spaces), and hence the procurement of a Developer who can bring this finance to the project.
It has always been the case, and set out in the original Output Specification, that the land or space for community facilities would be made available to the local community for free by the council as part of the redevelopment. The Parish Council consulted on a vision document for the facilities and the Council is working with the Parish Council to decide how the cost of the construction and fitting out can be funded, managed and run. The cost of constructing the community facilities was not included in the requirements set out when tendering the scheme due to the known viability issues of delivering the site and so was never included in the developer’s costs. There has always been uncertainty over delivery because of the need to fund the construction of such a building.
It is planned, and has been agreed with the Parish Council, that once the Development Agreement is signed the Council will seek expressions of interest from organisations/groups that would like to provide, own, and manage those community facilities. This could come from a group of individuals, single organisations, or a consortium.
This has not been done prior to now as anyone interested will need certainty over the programme and due to the delays, this has not been possible. Developers will be expected to prepare their planning application with a flexible space and once a user is known, this space can be adapted. The Council would be open to a staged design should this be felt the most beneficial approach. Subject to planning, an appropriate temporary structure could be acceptable in addition to an outdoor area, which can evolve into a more permanent building and use of space as the needs of canal visitors and the local community become clearer over time.
The design of the community facilities will be undertaken by the Developer to understand the space and how the building will interact with the rest of the development. Due to the site being located within the Industrial Heritage Conservation area, the design for this building needs to be carefully considered as part of the overall proposals and will therefore be included in the planning application for the development. The brief for the design of the building is for this to be as flexible as possible, to allow for the internal spaces to be altered and for versatile occupation.
Should the interested organisation require more significant changes to the building, a variation to planning can be submitted.
Individuals and local groups can make their views known through the planning process and in consultation / engagement prior to any planning application being submitted. There are additional opportunities for being involved in developing the proposed community facilities or developing social enterprises in the commercial space of the development.
Individuals can also be involved by volunteering with CCT or the Council to work on many different activities linked to the canal.
Vacant possession of the units was required by the end of June 2021 to meet the funding milestones as all the units needed to be demolished to enable the procurement of a developer to take place. Only the tenants in the Port Mill can remain throughout, as this building will not be affected by the redevelopment of the Port.
The vision for the site includes the construction of new community facilities and the Council will work with partners to encourage community organisations to establish and thrive in this new venue. There will also be new commercial spaces available to let in the new development that may be suitable for social enterprise.
Regular Information Sheets providing updates on the project are on the Council’s website. Comments and questions can also be submitted here and public questions can be submitted prior to meetings of the Strategy and Resources Committee.
The council’s involvement and funding in this project has meant it is further forward than the other brownfield sites allocated for development along the valley.
The public investment in the project is summarised in the table here.
The proposed structure of the agreement with a developer is that the council provides the developer with public investment in the sum of £3.526 million towards the cost of the infrastructure.
This figure (£3.526m) is made up of £2.776m from Homes England and the Government’s Land Release Fund and a further £750K from the council. This was the maximum public investment that the council could guarantee was available at the time of going out to procure a developer.
It has always been made clear to developers that there is no further subsidy for the project. As the public investment figure is fixed the cost risk of the overall development is the developers, the main risk being the cost of the infrastructure.
The public funding is not paid over until the developer starts to reinstate and construct the canal and basin. The proposed Development Agreement sets out that a retention sum (£1m) is held back until the works are completed and only 50% of costs reimbursed as works are progressed, ensuring that the public investment results in the construction of the canal and that the developer invests in the infrastructure as well as the council.
The £750k put in by the council towards the infrastructure costs, is part of the £1.85 million it has allocated for the project to date. This is made up of two capital sums, together with £696,500 net income from lettings at the Port (and agreed by Homes England to be reinvested in the project.)
Some of the investment has already been spent by the council to start to de-risk the project, in particular the design of and planning application for the infrastructure for the Port and the demolition of the buildings across the site, which enabled the council to be in a position to tender the scheme, making it more attractive to developers. The purchase of The Ship Inn pub forms part of this expenditure and supports the next stage of the project when the canal is connected to Gough’s Orchard lock.
Net rental income will continue to accrue as the Port Mill remains in SDC’s ownership until the end of the project, after which the income will no longer need to be ring-fenced.
Vacant possession of the units was required by the end of June 2021 to meet the funding milestones as all the units needed to be demolished to enable the procurement of a developer to take place. Only the tenants in the Port Mill can remain throughout, as this building will not be affected by the redevelopment of the Port.
The vision for the site includes the construction of new community facilities and the Council will work with partners to encourage community organisations to establish and thrive in this new venue. There will also be new commercial spaces available to let in the new development that may be suitable for social enterprise.
It has always been the case, and set out in the original Output Specification, that the land for the community facilities would be provided for free by the council. The cost of constructing the community facilities was not included in the requirements set out when tendering the scheme due to the known viability issues of delivering the site and so was never included in the developer’s costs. There has always been uncertainty over delivery because of the need to fund the construction of such a building.
It is planned, and has been agreed with the Parish Council, that once the Development Agreement is signed the Council will seek expressions of interest from organisations/groups that would like to provide, own, and manage those community facilities. This could come from a group of individuals, single organisations, or a consortium.
This has not been done prior to now as anyone interested will need certainty over the programme and due to the delays, this has not been possible. St Modwen Homes will prepare their planning application with a flexible space and once a user is known this space can be adapted. The Council would be open to a staged design should this be felt the most beneficial approach. Subject to planning, an appropriate temporary structure could be acceptable in addition to an outdoor area, which can evolve into a more permanent building and use of space as the needs of canal visitors and the local community become clearer over time.
The design of the community facilities has been undertaken by St Modwen Homes to understand the space and how the building will interact with the rest of the development. Due to the site being located within the Industrial Heritage Conservation area, the design for this building needs to be carefully considered as part of the overall proposals and will therefore be included in the planning application for the development. The brief for the design of the building is for this to be as flexible as possible, to allow for the internal spaces to be altered and for versatile occupation.
Should the interested organisation require more significant changes to the building, a variation to planning can be submitted.
In relation to this site, the council grant funds SVCC circa £60k per annum (index linked), it is expected that this will be met/ reduced through mooring fees and surface water discharge fees as the site is developed. But the council continues to make provision for this in its budget as part of its commitment to the reinstatement of the District’s canals.
The percentage of affordable homes across the site, a 50/50 split of rent and shared ownership, remains at 30%. This has been a key priority for the council and remains as set out in the Output Specification, an important document that was agreed by members in July 2019.
The homes will become part of the council’s housing stock and be let and managed by the housing services team. This service is regulated by government to ensure that residents have access to safe, secure and decent homes.
The site has been the subject of various public consultation events whilst the council has been working to bring forward the redevelopment proposals and the council has continued to engage with Brimscombe and Thrupp Parish Council throughout with monthly meetings being held over recent years.
The Local Plan sets out the vision/requirements for Brimscombe Port and this was consulted on prior to being adopted.
A public event was held in December 2018 to share the design of the key infrastructure for the site including the canal and basin and new access road prior to a planning application being submitted.
Following the selection of St Modwen Homes in July 2022, the proposals were shared with the public in August 2022. These were well received, and comments and feedback, together with comments received in the nine focus groups that were held following the consultation, the two very positive South West Design Review Panels and the pre app advice from the local authority have been fed into the revised proposals.
A second consultation was held on the 12 December 2024 to share the latest plans.
Following the withdrawal of St Modwen Homes from the project, the council recognises that this is an uncertain time and is committed to keeping the local community up to date with news, as soon as it knows more from Homes England, on the next steps to deliver the shared vision for the site.
The council will also continue to provide updates through its e-mail update list and people can register for this here.
The provision of a community facility in the development has been consulted on by the Parish council several times. Their Neighbourhood Development Plan was consulted on and includes the plans for Brimscombe Port including a survey in Autumn 2021 which stated the following:
“There have been a series of consultations since 2004 on community wishes for the re-development of Brimscombe Port. Key wishes have included the reinstatement of sufficient water to ensure the scale of the historic port was reflected in the new development, a community focus at the centre of the port to ‘put the heart back into Brimscombe’ to integrate existing and new residents of the parish and to ensure the port will be connected to the main canal network.”
“Through the Neighbourhood Plan Autumn 2021 consultation, it is clear that people are keen to see the Port sensitively developed. people were given a number of options for what they would like to see included in a development at the port in the survey. In order of priority of those options considered very important or important were:
The Council’s adopted canal strategy which included Brimscombe Port also involved stakeholder and community engagement in its development.