Stroud District Councillors’ Report - April 2017

Key issues

Refuse Collections

The rising costs of the service contract between SDC and Ubico is under scrutiny. A financial report is due late May and will cover all aspects of the contract with Ubico and also Gloucestershire County Council, who are responsible for all landfill. Cllr Tucker attends the Task & Finish Group meetings to ensure that satisfactory progress is being made.

Following discussions between Cllr Tucker and SDC, based on the logic applied with the previous green recycling wheelie bins, some residents in Gloucester Street, Wotton, have had their ‘landfill’ refuse bins replaced with beige bags.

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

The new CIL was successfully implemented by the Council on 1^st April. Most new planning applications received after 1 April 2017 will be subject to CIL. Parishes which have an agreed Neighbourhood Plan in place will progressively receive sums totaling 25% of the levy or 15% if no Plan exists, to put towards capital projects within the community.

New programme for affordable housing

At the February council discussion on the budget, £8 million was approved from the General Fund to be spent over the next 4 years on ‘Homes for Rent’ – to help to address the lack of affordable housing across the District. Councillors are now discussing through the cross party Housing Review Panel, what the priorities should be and how the programme will be implemented. Further review of options will be undertaken in May with a view to taking a decision at the Strategy and Resources Committee in June.

Summary of District Council meetings

• SDC Strategy & Resources Committee (Strategy, overview and governance) - (13^th April) Discussions and resolutions on: the Committee’s Work Programme, Performance Monitoring and the Corporate Delivery Plan (due for re-issue July 2017).

• Environment Committee Discussions and resolutions on: Committee Work Programme, SDC Budget Monitoring Report, SDC Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)

• SDC Investment & Development Panel (Asset management) - (10^th April) Discussions held on the following assets: Brimscombe Port, Stroud Subscription Rooms, Stratford Park

• Subscription Rooms The options for this Asset of Community Value building are to keep the building under council control; allowing another organisation to run the Sub Rooms as a public arts and cultural facility or selling the building on the open market. Further discussions with several interested parties are ongoing.

Local issues

Involved PCSO, SDC and other services to be aware of anti-social behaviour and refuse dumping in a social housing block in Wotton. Rubbish now removed and ASB under observation.

Councillor Meetings

Cllr Ken Tucker

• Planning Training. (4^th April)

• Korean delegation visit to Stroud. (4^th April)

• Finance Training. (6^th April)

• Housing Review Panel and Investment & Development Panel joint review meeting. (6^th April)

• Environment Committee. (6^th April)

• Group Leaders & CEO meeting. (10^th April)

• Investment & Development Panel meeting. (10^th April)

• Housing Review Panel meeting. (11 April)

• Strategy & Review Committee. (13^th April)

• Wotton Town Council meeting. (18^th April)

• Chief Executive’s appraisal report review. (20^th April)

• Group Leaders & CEO meeting. (24^th April)

Cllr George Butcher

• Arts and culture Task and Finish Group

• North Nibley Annual Parish Meeting and Monthly meeting (3 April)

Cllr Catherine Braun

• Korean delegation visit to Stroud. (4 April)

• Homelessness working group (4 April)

• Housing Review Panel and Investment & Development Panel joint review meeting. (6 April)

• Housing Review Panel meeting (11 April)

• North Nibley Annual Parish Meeting and Monthly meeting (3 April)