Leader's blog - 2 December 2024

"We have a full agenda at this Thursday’s Environment Committee. Councillors will be considering four bids put forward in our annual Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding process. CIL is a tax raised by district councils from developers in the area, which is then distributed to providers of infrastructure (eg, schools, medical facilities, footpaths and cycleways) to help with pressures arising from housing growth. This year we have four projects to consider: plans for a doctor’s surgery and a medical hub in Cam, a car park upgrade in Nailsworth, and preliminary designs for a section of the bike track in Rodborough.

Alongside a range of interesting reports from members representing the Council on other bodies, we also have an update on our Walking & Cycling Fund, the latest budgetary information for the Committee, and a report back a year on from the “Open Spaces” motion, which looked at how communal green areas and amenities in new residential developments are managed.

Finally, I’m pleased we will be voting on whether to include vapes/e-cigarettes and batteries to the list of items that can be recycled from home in the district. These items contain valuable materials that can be salvaged for reuse, but they also present a fire risk when mingled with other materials. In the last year, we’ve had a number of small bin lorry fires, likely to have been caused by discarded electrical items, and we want to minimise the risk for our crews. If the recommendation is approved, you’ll see follow up communications from the Council soon about how and when it’ll be possible to recycle these items from home."

This week's blog was written by Cllr Chloe Turner, Chair of Environment Committee