Cllr Gareth Kitchen - Green Party

1st December 2025

Along with residents' casework and in addition to council and training meetings at Ebley Mill, Cllrs Kitchen, Braun & Cohen attended the regular council meetings at North Nibley, Stinchcombe & Wotton-under-Edge.

Council meetings 

Link to meeting agenda and documents in the committee title.

Housing Committee – 4th Nov

• Swedish Timber Houses Site, Stinchcombe. An update to the Committee on highway safety and other key infrastructure considerations for the new scheme, before a planning application is submitted for this site, which was added to the Council's New Homes Programme in March 2024. Seventeen new energy efficient affordable homes are proposed (1 bed, 2 bed and 3 bed), on the site of 2 pairs of semi-detached Swedish Timber properties with large gardens. The concerns expressed by Stinchcombe residents in relation to housing density, a preference to upgrade existing buildings and other issues were referenced in the Committee papers.
• Proposed redevelopment of 11 & 11A May Lane, Dursley. Committee agreed to the proposal to develop land to the rear of Prospect Place just off May Lane, and to approve the submission of a planning application for the site using compulsory purchase powers if required. The proposed layout comprises 17 affordable homes with associated parking, that would be built to achieve EPC A rating. The May Lane properties are owned by Stroud District Council and comprise a derelict building in very poor condition with structural problems, which is proposed to be demolished.
  
• Neighbourhoods & Communities Strategy – a new SDC strategy was adopted in response to the Regulator of Social Housing's new framework. Following consultation with tenants and members the strategy will focus on partnership across services/agencies, tenants' involvement in service delivery, improved visibility of work, and data-led targeted activity, including tackling littering and wellbeing initiatives.
• Updated Service Standards for council housing services have been published. Performance against these standards will be reported regularly for tenant scrutiny and to Housing Committee.
  
• New Homes & Regeneration Programme update – further acquisitions of new affordable homes have been made by SDC in Cam (13 homes), Kingswood (16 homes) and Horsley (1 property) which are all due for completion by end of March. Construction is in progress at the new build council homes sites at Gloucester Street/Bradley Street in Wotton, Glebelands in Cam and Cambridge Avenue in Dursley. Four new homes to provide temporary accommodation for homeless families have been acquired at Great Oldbury.
  
• Empty council homes – work is underway to improve the process and turnaround time taken to bring council properties up to a lettable condition when they are returned to let. Minor voids are now dealt with by the internal Property Care team, which has helped to bring down the turnaround time to 72 days in quarter 1. A contractor deals with large scale repairs and whole house refurbishment works.
  
• Damp and Mould – update on work to implement Awaab's Law, which puts more responsibility on social landlords to provide proactive, tenant focused services for safe and healthy homes.
  
• Video recording

Audit & Standards – 11th Nov

• Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit
  • Duty of Local Authorities - councils have a responsibility to promote and develop high standards for countering fraud and corruption in their organisations. The Council's Fraud Risk Strategy has been reviewed to ensure it meets current requirements. In a recent case, the Counter Fraud & Enforcement unit prosecuted an individual who had failed to disclose his multiple jobs and received salaries and other benefits totalling approximately £236,000. He was sentenced to 3 years for fraud (see BBC report).
  • Multi Agency Approach to Fraud website: The Counter Fraud & Enforcement Unit has now launched a new website to provide support for victims of scams in Gloucestershire: https://cfeu.org.uk/glassjar/ This ‘Glass Jar’ webpage stands for Gloucestershire Against Scams Joint Agency Response, and it has been developed by the Multi-Agency Approach to Fraud group, which brings together key partners including Trading Standards, the Counter Fraud Team, Gloucestershire Constabulary’s Economic Crime Team, Victim Support, the NHS, local councils and other agencies. By pooling expertise and intelligence, this group aims to disrupt scams and provide coordinated support for victims. The new Glass Jar website features alerts on current fraud trends and scams, advice for individuals and businesses, reporting tools and contact details, educational resources and campaign materials.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy
  • To provide a framework for the use of AI that can be used by the Council to define associated controls and procedures that will ensure on-going compliance.
• Accounts and Audit - Committee approved the Statement of Accounts for 2024/25 and reviewed the External Auditors' report. The Internal Audit Activity Progress Report was also discussed.
  
• Annual Code of Conduct Report – over the previous year, the Monitoring Officer has received 14 Code of Conduct complaints related to the District, Town and Parish Councils. The outcome has been 'no breach' or 'informal resolution' in all cases, apart from five, which are 'ongoing'.
  
• Video recording

Strategy & Resources Committee – 13th Nov

• Brimscombe Port Redevelopment – Next Steps
  • Procurement – agreed that the Council will proceed to procure a new developer partner for the Brimscombe Port project, to regenerate the old port site, restore the canal basin and build up to 150 energy efficient homes. There has been a very positive response to the council's 'soft market testing' when developers were approached to ask whether in principle they would be interested in the opportunity to be involved in the project.
  • Engagement – a project board will now be set up to include community representation. Council officers are currently exploring possible 'meanwhile use' options for the site, given the site's numerous limitations.
    
  • Funding – £206k was allocated to fund costs to progress the project over the next four years, and it was agreed to continue to provide a grant fund to Stroud Valleys Canals Company of £67k per year.
    
• Procurement and contract management
  • The new Procurement Act came into effect in Feb 2025 and has been implemented across the council. The Council's new Social Value policy was recently approved to show how economic, social and environmental wellbeing of our rea is considered in procurement activity. In terms of local spend – SDC spent £15.7m of its £40.9m total spend on suppliers with a GL postcode in 2024/25.
    
• Community Wealth Building
  • The council is advancing Community Wealth Building across five pillars; procurement, employment, land & assets, finance, and ownership.
    
  • Work includes, a new Social Value procurement policy, support for local energy co‑ops and other projects, with oversight by a cross‑department Officer Working Group coordinated with the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES).
  • A second community workshop was held on 26 Nov 2025 to continue development.
• Member / Officer report summaries
  • Regeneration and Investment Board
    • Stroud Station Quarter (progressing) updates expected in April 2026.
    • Tourism and market‑town initiative reviewed. Refreshed Tourism USP report due March 2026 and the allocation of remaining Market Town Vitality Fund resources (£55 k) toward equal grants to town councils, promotional films, and potential signage or shop‑front grants.
    • Several broader regional updates were noted: the final Local Growth Plan submission, advanced engineering/manufacturing studies, green‑skills development, secured canal lottery funding, and pending decisions on Great British Nuclear and other pipeline projects.
  • Canal Update
    • NHLF boosted the canal grant to £15.4 m plus £4 m from partners, enabling full project completion and reconnection at Saul Junction.
    • Key 2025 milestones: Fromebridge opening, Bonds Mill lift bridge installation, and community/heritage outreach events.
• Video recording

Full Council – 20th Nov

• Local Government Reorganisation in Gloucestershire
  • Stroud District Council formally supported the proposal to create a single unitary authority for the whole of Gloucestershire, joining the county and district councils into one body. Concern was expressed about the local government reorganisation process, removal of district level decision making, and the likely financial and service disadvantages for Stroud district residents if the East/West two unitary option was adopted.
    
  • The council considered three options: a single county‑wide authority, two regional unitary authorities (East & West), or a “Greater Gloucester” authority plus a separate unitary for the rest of the county.
  • After debate and a vote the single‑council option received the council’s resolution which was submitted to the government by the deadline. The next step will be a Government consultation on the option, then a decision by the Minister on which option will be taken forward, which is expected next summer.
    
  • Council leaders emphasised that the focus now shifts to working with partner councils to prepare for the upcoming changes and to keep Stroud residents at the centre of planning.
  • All the other six upper tier councils in Gloucestershire have also sent in their preferences: four voted for one unitary council for the county (Stroud DC, Tewkesbury BC, Cotswold DC and Gloucestershire CC), Cheltenham BC voted for the East/West two unitaries, Gloucester City Council voted for the 'Greater Gloucester' two unitaries, and the Forest of Dean voted for 'none of the above' to express their frustration with the process. (BBC report)
  • Further information on the proposals: https://futuregloucestershire.org.uk/
• Video recording

Other news 

• Leaders unite in call for community harmony. “We champion equality, diversity, inclusion and equity in all that we do.”
• The National Lottery Heritage Fund awards £6.4m to reconnect Stroud’s historic canal with the UK’s waterways.
• Disappointment at rejection of new evidence for the draft Local Plan by Planning Inspectors.
  
• Poppies to Paddington
• Local Government Reorganisation: Stroud District Council supports single council for Gloucestershire
• Help us build a safer district by sharing organisations supporting women and girls
• Brimscombe Port redevelopment moves forward with new developer search

Prepared by Cllr Catherine Braun (Green) and Cllr Gareth Kitchen (Green) based on councillor activity in November with updates from Cllr Linda Cohen (Lib Dem). #sdc