SDC Leader's blog - w/c 15 September 2025

“The weather has dramatically changed in the last few weeks and while it’s a welcome relief for many, others will be thinking about their heating costs as autumn approaches.  So, it’s an ideal time to think about how to cut energy costs and improve home energy efficiency. You can get help through the Warm Homes Local Grant, delivered via Warm and Well, offering fully funded upgrades like insulation and solar panels for eligible households (the eligibility criteria is broader than you may think), so please check it out. If you don’t qualify, we have the ‘Furbnow’ service providing tailored advice, vetted installers, and full project management, with potential annual savings of up to £1,800. Additionally, the Great British Insulation Scheme helps households access affordable insulation to lower bills. For more details visit www.stroud.gov.uk/EnergyEfficiencySchemes

We are very pleased to have our Stroud crowdfunding grant scheme window now open for the autumn, for people and community groups that have a community idea needing funding. These has already proven to be a great way for projects to secure additional funding from the council, to help those interested on how it works we are hosting two free workshops covering how to access funding, key dates, and offer direct advice from the team. 
In-person: Tuesday 16 September, 2.30–4pm at The Sub Rooms, Stroud 
Online: Thursday 18 September, 5–6pm via Zoom

More details from www.spacehive.com/movement/stroud/about 

The council’s Climate and Nature strategy is still out for consultation until the end of September, so if you haven’t commented on this please do so: www.stroud.gov.uk/consultations  

Finally, it is National Inclusion week between 15 & 21 September, the council has a ‘Recite Me’ tool to help users who may find it difficult to access our services through our website. Users can customise the site with features like text-to-speech, translation into over 100 languages, adjustable fonts and colours. Click on "Accessibility Tools" at the top of our website homepage to select the Recite Me options.”

Cllr Martin Pearcy, Chair of Environment Committee