Leader's blog - 26 April 2023
Published: Wednesday, 26 April, 2023
The council owns numerous properties across Stroud district, including includes offices, leisure centres, car parks, public toilets, and woodland. This property portfolio also includes some significant listed buildings, two of which were the focus for discussion at our Strategy and Resources Committee last week.
Following negotiations with the Stroud Preservation Trust, we unanimously agreed to grant the Trust a lease for the Stroud Cemetery Chapel, along with funding to cover the cost of essential works to bring the building back into use. It’s a positive outcome, which reflects strong local support for this historic building to remain in community ownership.
We also discussed Kingshill House in Dursley, where the charity Kingshill House Limited provides a valued programme of events, classes and workshops focused on creativity, health and wellbeing. Stroud District Council already provides some grant funding to the charity and will continue working with them with a view to agreeing a revised lease, as the current lease is due to expire next October.
The Canal Spring Festival, on 13 and 14 May, is an upcoming date for the diary and will have activities for all ages. On Saturday 13 May, ‘The Lock Challenge’ offers walkers and runners the chance to compete over various distances, with options available for people using wheelchairs, mobility scooters, buggies and accessible bikes to enjoy an accessible route, and there’ll also be a kayaking and paddle boarding time trial. Sign up for The Lock Challenge on the Let’s Do This website. Sunday 14 May will be a free, family focused day along the canal with stalls, activities, food and drink.
Finally, we have our last Full Council meeting of the civic year on Thursday, when we’ll discuss the plan for new vehicles for waste and recycling collections, the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, and the importance of tackling domestic abuse.