Leader's blog w/c 29 September 2025

“Strategy and Resources Committee meets this Thursday, and members have three key items to consider.

The first comes from some work we did over the summer to understand better how our communities, businesses and organisational partners like to be consulted by the council on matters that affect them, so that their feedback can be used to help shape or improve services. 

We have a particular commitment to be accessible, inclusive and transparent about what we’re doing when we ask people for their views. Our new Consultation and Engagement Framework also covers how we’ll know we’ve made a difference, and how we’ll let our communities know what action we took on their feedback (or why we didn’t on this occasion). As well as the new framework, the committee will consider the purchase of an online tool that many other councils use to support this work.

Another new way of working we’ll discuss is our revised Social Value Measures – these are requirements of the council’s larger suppliers to deliver additional benefit to the community: social, environmental, or economic. For example, there are measures linked to the employment of apprentices, volunteering hours, waste reduction, supporting our community hub network, reducing climate emissions, and promoting nature’s recovery. It’s a great way to maximise the benefit our residents get from the council’s spend, and our existing social value model – which we are improving on here – has already generated over £3m in benefits for the district since 2021.

Finally, we’ll be considering an emergency funding request from the Berkeley Community Hub project, under our exceptional circumstances policy. We’ll also have the chance to discuss a series of updates on some of the council’s most important projects - you can read those, and all of the papers for the meeting here. As always, the meeting will be available to watch, live and subsequently, on the council’s website.”

Cllr Chloe Turner, Leader of Stroud District Council