Leader's blog - w/c 19 January 2026

“Now the days are getting longer, those lucky enough to have gardens or allotments are scouring seed catalogues and thinking about germinating tomatoes, planting potatoes, and looking forward to this year's harvest. Climate change means there is more uncertainty than ever about the conditions for growing – will we have drought or rain, heatwaves, or storms?  For farmers who produce food for all of us, the council is holding an event at Stroud Brewery in partnership with Hartpury College.

Proposals for transformational work at Active Lifestyles Stroud – the leisure centre and lido in Stratford Park – are being considered. If you would like a say, please look for a consultation on the SDC website and on social media. 

Environmental health is a key concern of the council. Thursday this week is Clean Air Night, when we are asked to think about the effects of wood-burning stoves – understandably popular, but with health consequences beyond the homes of stove-users themselves. Read more about it here.

In my ward, Bisley, Eastcombe and Oakridge, the Parish Council has been leading work on a Neighbourhood Plan, which will make residents' preferences for development part of the legal framework for planning decisions by the local authority. It's just been through a six-week consultation of residents of the parish, and with changes they have suggested will be submitted to the district council, and then to the National Planning Inspectorate for approval, before a referendum later in the year. When it's been ‘made' - adopted as part of the planning regulations for the district - it will also mean that the parish gets a larger share of the Community Infrastructure Levy that developers pay to help meet the needs of increased housing. If your area does not have a Neighbourhood Plan, why not consider proposing it to your parish council, or even leading it yourself?”

Cllr Martin Brown, Chair of Community Services and Licensing Committee