Leader's blog - w/c 9 November 2026

"Small businesses are the bedrock of our local economy in Stroud district, and we want to see them thrive. The Council’s new Sustainable Economy Fund supports new and established small businesses - alongside community organisations, education providers and charities - in our area, offering grants of up to £5,000. Projects could include training and skills initiatives, business development, equipment purchases, digital innovation, accessibility improvements, environmental projects and tourism opportunities. Round 1 applications close on 22 November 2026, with details here." 

You’ll know another key priority is increasing our stock of good quality council housing, so it was brilliant visiting our latest new homes recently – already listed for tenants – at Queen’s Drive in Cashes Green. These high quality, energy-efficient homes are for social rent, and come with extra features to help nature thrive around them. Grateful thanks to our officer team, who have transformed a neglected brownfield site and brought it back into productive use for our residents. Every new affordable home makes a difference when demand for housing outstrips supply. 

November is busy: for our planning team, it marks the official start of our new Local Plan process, which will help shape how the district develops over the coming years. Read more on our website, and opportunities to get involved will be widely publicised (the next will be next summer).

This is also a busy time for our communities, and you can find a huge list of local happenings on our social media and the News page of our website to see details of November events. I was pleased to join a moving Remembrance service in Minchinhampton over the weekend, and will mark Armistice Day at Shire Hall in my County Council role. 

Finally, to keep up to date with all the latest SDC news and updates, do sign up here: Email updates - straight to your inbox"