The Leader of Stroud District Council has shared her deep disappointment and frustration after the selected developer pulled out of the Brimscombe Port project.
Almost three years after St Modwen Homes was selected in a competitive tender process to deliver the scheme in partnership with the Council, it has withdrawn from the redevelopment project.
“As I know local residents and wider project stakeholders will be, I am incredibly disappointed by this outcome, and the timing of the decision, following the well-received public consultation on the project,” said Councillor Chloe Turner.
“We have worked over many years to secure more than £5million in public funding to address the challenges of this former industrial site, and to develop detailed infrastructure and engineering plans for restoring the canal and port basin. This public subsidy helped to make the project commercially viable when we went out to tender in 2022, and we had been delighted with St Modwen Homes’ enthusiasm for delivering this flagship project, based on their experience with other challenging brownfield sites.”
She said this turn of events was particularly unexpected, since St Modwen Homes had appeared fully committed to the Port project, holding a public consultation in December 2024 on detailed proposals for the site redevelopment which they described as ‘an unprecedented opportunity to reinvent and regenerate’ the area. The consultation was attended by hundreds of local residents who were assured that the next step would be the submission of a planning application in spring or summer 2025.
However, in January 2025, St Modwen Homes was sold to Miller Homes. The new owner decided to review the whole St Modwen Homes portfolio of projects, and following a decision by the Miller Homes board, St Modwen Homes has now informed the Council that it will be withdrawing from the project.
Stroud District Council has been working on the Brimscombe Port redevelopment proposals for more than a decade, in collaboration with community stakeholders, to restore this historically significant piece of the Cotswold Canals and create a new environmentally sustainable development. The scheme with St Modwen Homes had been due to reinstate the canal and port basin, provide up to 150 energy efficient homes, including affordable homes, community, commercial and social facilities, routes for walking and cycling and benefits for wildlife and biodiversity.
The Council remains committed to this flagship project and is now exploring options with Homes England, to find an alternative path. Continued working with Brimscombe & Thrupp Parish Council and many other partners and stakeholders will continue through this new phase of project review to establish the next steps.
Cllr Turner has been actively involved in the Brimscombe Port project since she was elected to represent the Minchinhampton Ward and Division in 2021.
She added: “The whole team here at Stroud District Council is deeply saddened and frustrated by the Miller Homes decision, and the impact that the inevitable delay will have on our local communities. We know this was a viable scheme which was effectively ready for a planning application to be considered.
“Brimscombe Port is a challenging site to develop and although the new owner of St Modwen Homes says it does not fit their risk profile, we believe other developers could make it work.
“We recognise that this is an uncertain time and we’re committed to keeping the local community up to date with news as soon as we know more from Homes England, on the next steps to deliver the shared vision for the site.”
The Brimscombe Port site is owned by Stroud District Council and is within the Industrial Heritage Conservation Area, being of significant cultural and historical value. Once complete the Port will be the destination at the eastern end of the canal. Homes England is now in discussion with the Council to review options for the way forward following this announcement. The site is allocated in the SDC Local Plan for 150 dwellings, canal-related tourism and employment uses. An essential part of any scheme is the reinstatement of the canal and basin to take the site out of the flood plain.
The site has a fascinating history: Brimscombe Port was the country’s largest inland port from the late 1700s but after the decline in canals became redundant. The canal was in-filled after the Second World War and the site developed as an industrial estate from the 1960s. Some historic buildings survive, including the Salt Warehouse and the Port Mill.
Initially the redevelopment of Brimscombe Port was part of the Cotswold Canal Restoration project. When it was acquired in 2009 from British Waterways by Stroud Valleys Canal Company, with grant funding from the South West Regional Development Agency, the expectation was that it would deliver both a redeveloped port and provide funding for other sections of the canal.
After the property crash in 2008/2009, subsequent marketing proved the site to be unviable without additional public investment.
Since then, the council has committed £2.47 million to the project, to reduce the financial risks to a developer. Additionally, Government support totalling £2.776 million has been loaned by Homes England (£2 million) and granted by the One Public Estate Land Release Fund Programme (£776,000) to help make the former industrial site viable for development.
With the support of the local councillors, numerous community organisations and valued social enterprises were able to relocate to Brimscombe Port, under ‘meanwhile use’ arrangements, with low rent, from 2014 to 2021 until vacant possession was required in order to commence the procurement process for a developer, with some of these organisations receiving additional financial support from the Council to cover their operational costs.
St Modwen Homes was appointed in July 2022 and had been working with Stroud District Council since then to progress the scheme. An initial consultation on emerging proposals was held in August 2022, prior to the recent public consultation in December 2024.
To keep up-to-date with developments on this site, sign up to our dedicated mailing list: https://www.stroud.gov.uk/environment/projects/our-vision-for-brimscombe-port/brimscombe-port-mailing-list/
To find out more about the development, please read the Frequently Asked Questions section on our website: https://www.stroud.gov.uk/environment/projects/our-vision-for-brimscombe-port/brimscombe-port-faqs/
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