Leader's blog - w/c 23 March 2026

“It was a pleasure last week to join our Cotswold Canals Connected partners to watch the first water flow into Oldbury Pound at Eastington. This is the first restored length of the ‘Missing Mile’, the section filled in during M5 construction from the late 1960s. The Cotswold Canal Trust volunteers have done an extraordinary job – as always – and the visiting National Lottery Heritage Fund Board members greatly appreciated seeing this next step forward for themselves.

You’ll have seen that our Community Services & Licensing Committee met last week to consider next steps for Stroud’s Stratford Park Lido, which needs significant investment to safely reopen. Known to many as the “outdoor pool”, everyone at the council shares the community’s love for this special place with its long history. The scrutiny process is ongoing, more investigative work is being commissioned, and it’s been hugely helpful to hear from cross-party councillors and the community at this early stage. A further report will come to Strategy & Resources Committee on 16th April. Thank you to over 170 people who have expressed an interest in being involved – more here: https://www.stroud.gov.uk/culture-leisure-sports-parks/lido/ 

Good news for our garden waste scheme – thanks to a fleet expansion of additional, smaller vehicles, we are now able to offer to service to every household in the district. Subscriptions for this year (collections from 30 March) are now open: https://www.stroud.gov.uk/gardenwaste

Finally, it was special to end the week at the launch of a striking new light-based art installation on the canal at Dudbridge, created by young women from Stroud Town Five Valleys Youth Forum, with support from the council’s Youth Participation Officer, LaToya Howe, and artist Deb Hoy. The piece brings light, safety and community pride to a once overlooked space, and highlights the power of young people to shape the places they live.”

Cllr Chloe Turner, Leader of Stroud District Council