Leader's blog - w/c 19 October 2026

"Have you visited Woodchester Mansion recently? This incredible, unfinished Gothic Revival mansion, complete with rare bat roost, had fallen into disrepair when it was brought into public ownership by the Council in the 1980s.

Last week, councillors agreed to provide up to £245,000 to help secure its long-term future. This will help the Woodchester Mansion Trust, which manages and cares for this special building, prepare a major funding application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Another reminder this Fly Tipping Fortnight that we all have a legal Duty of Care over our waste. This means that if fly-tipped rubbish is traced back to you, you could be held responsible, even if you paid someone else to take it away. To avoid being caught out: ask to see a waste carrier registration number; check it on the Environment Agency's public register; request a receipt, and keep records. Taking these simple steps helps ensure your waste is disposed of legally and responsibly.

(Yet more) new planning changes come in this month. The Government will now specify which planning applications will come to the Council’s Development Control Committee, and which will be decided by officers alone. In particular, applications for less than ten dwellings (of particular significance in our villages and rural areas), will no longer come to committee. Although the opportunity to air these applications in public has gone, members of the public can still comment as usual, and Parish & Town Councils continue to be statutory consultees. 

Wonderful that the Cotswold Canals Connected partnership has been awarded the prestigious Building with Nature Full Award, recognising the way the careful construction of the canal and its landscaping benefit both people and wildlife. Huge congratulations to the team at SDC, Cotswold Canals Trust, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, Stroud Valleys Project and all our other partners.

Finally, don't forget to sign up for SDC email updates at www.stroud.gov.uk/emailalerts"

Cllr Chloe Turner, Leader of Stroud District Council