Leader's blog - 30 December 2024

"As 2024 draws to a close, I'm reflecting on a busy year, and looking towards the challenges of the future.

Stroud District Council continues our mission towards a sustainable, thriving local area that is a great place to live, work and visit. Our small district council budget is eclipsed by most other councils around the country, but we never let that get in the way of our ambition!

We've invested in technology to make it quicker and easier for you to speak to the right person at the council to get issues resolved first time. 

We've taken Stratford Park Leisure Centre back into public control, and invested in its future. 

More council buildings are now kept warm in winter with heat pumps, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and cutting carbon emission.

Local play areas have been upgraded with new play equipment, giving young families new opportunities to play, learn and connect. 

We are repairing the anti-slavery arch in Paganhill, the UK's oldest anti-slavery memorial, built just one year after slavery was banned. 

We continue restoring the canal as a "golden thread" weaving through our district, bringing new opportunities, supporting wildlife, and celebrating our industrial heritage. 

In 2025, we will continue to push forward our ambitious plans. But I also have to be frank about the challenges. 

The government has announced plans to replace district councils and county councils with larger "unitary authorities". We will need to invest a huge amount of time and effort to deliver these changes, but I am confident that we can work together to find the right solution for this special place we are lucky enough to call "home". 

Cllr Pete Kennedy, Deputy Leader of Stroud District Council