Cllr Gareth Kitchen - Green Party

Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley & Stinchcombe Ward

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.

Community Services and Licensing Committee – 10th September 🔗

Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for Stroud and Dursley: PSPOs allow authorities to impose reasonable restrictions in specific public areas to reduce nuisance and anti-social behaviour. Both the Stroud and Dursley PSPOs grant Police and council officers powers to tackle alcohol-related anti-social behaviour, including the seizure and disposal of alcohol where necessary. Resolved

Stroud District Youth Action Plan: A delivery-focused plan created through extensive consultation with over 350 young people and community stakeholders using systems modelling workshops. The plan aligns with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's National Youth Strategy, Gloucestershire County Council's One Plan, and the Council Plan, centring on themes including youth voice, mental health, workforce development, safety, climate action and accountability. £179k in external funding will be held in earmarked reserves allocated across priority areas over two years. The plan seeks to ensure young people are happy, healthy, safe, included and empowered while strengthening partnerships with key youth organisations including The Door and Family Action to provide continuity and effective delivery across the district. Resolved

Motion calling For Kingshill House Grant Funding: Stroud District Council completed a new lease with Kingshill House Limited in 2025, taking responsibility for structural repairs. The Trust is running a deficit due to marketing costs, urgent beam repairs causing lost venue revenue, and an unrentable cottage. Further council support of £25k was requested to prevent closure.

Committee recommended this motion to the Strategy & Resources Committee which meets on 8 October. However the report for this next Committee meeting has a proposed decision not to support the £25k grant since this has been assessed legally as not permitted under the Subsidy Control Act 2022 and does not comply with the council’s fiduciary duties. It is hoped that Kingshill House Limited, which has operated for almost 30 years, may be able to source the grant funding required from another source.

Officer Report

Stratford Park Lido Update & Emerging Padel Tennis Opportunity: Stratford Park Lido successfully reopened following £476k in repair works. The original £900k capital budget proved insufficient for major repairs. The temporary works enable safe operation through the 2026 and 2027 seasons while long-term sustainability planning continues, with improvements including pool shell repairs, new fittings, poolside re-levelling, mechanical plant upgrades, and a new café offering. The reopening has generated overwhelmingly positive community feedback, though the full funding needed for the lido's permanent future remains unavailable within the current council budget. With the lido project complete, the Leisure Team is now exploring a padel tennis opportunity at Stratford Park through partnership arrangements to minimise financial exposure, while other delayed leisure works such as gym equipment replacements are now back in planning. Noted

[ ▶︎ ] Video recording (65 views)

Housing Committee – 15th September 🔗

Nominations of Tenant Representatives: Mike Richter and Ian Allen were appointed as Tenant Representatives allowing tenants to have a direct voice in housing committee decisions. Resolved

Compulsory Purchase Powers to acquire land at May Lane, Dursley: To deliver up to 17 new affordable houses along with necessary works including widening an existing service road and altering residential and HGV delivery parking arrangements. A complex development. Recommended

Housing capital budget acquisitions: Agreed an additional £10m for the Acquisition of Housing capital budget for 2026/27, building on the £15m approved in 2025/26. The budget funds purchase of existing homes including Right to Buy buy-backs, S106 affordable homes. With over 3,000 households on the Homeseeker Plus register and approximately 1,169 in significant housing need, the council has successfully acquired or contracted 56 homes across sites. Recommended

Revised Damp and Mould Policy: To update the original 2023 policy to reflect current best practice and align with regulatory changes introduced through Awaab's Law 🔗 effective October 2025. Resolved

Opportunity for additional grant funding: The Social Housing Fund Wave 3 project would allow Stroud District Council to increase the number of homes delivered and raise more homes to EPC C standard. SDC’s proportion of this additional grant funding is £549k. Resolved

Officer Reports: Anti Social Behaviour Annual Report 2025/26:Covers 200 reported cases (9 in Wotton 🔗), with noise-related nuisance comprising 45% of complaints. Most cases were low to medium risk, managed through early intervention. Enforcement included 19 injunctions and 5 evictions for persistent serious cases. However, tenant satisfaction is below average, prompting a focus on improvements to boost resident confidence and service effectiveness. Noted

[ ▶︎ ] Video recording (53 views)

Environment Committee – 17th September 🔗

Members Questions: Cllr Maggie Dutton (Lab) asked about 'swift bricks' in the new NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) guidance. The NPPF's edge of village development 🔗 guidance is relevant to Wotton ward too, see here for details.

Introduction Of Setup Fee Structure For Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Habitat Banks: To establish a fee structure allowing Stroud District Council to recover costs for processing Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Habitat Bank applications, while retaining regulatory influence over habitat locations and quality within the district. Resolved

Consultation Results For Dog-Related Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs): To set out the Council's position regarding the four existing Public Spaces Protection Orders, to provide the results of the consultation and to agree the extension of the PSPOs for a further 3-year period. Public support high, ranging from 85 to 96%. See earlier CS&L Committee note. Resolved

Member / Officer Reports:

Update On Flexible Plastics (Plastic Bags And Wrappings): The Government has delayed the requirement to collect flexible plastic packaging from 2027 to 2030 due to limited domestic capacity for processing and lack of established end markets. Consequently, SDC is no longer under a statutory obligation to introduce this before 2030, although the option remains. The incumbent recycling contractor has also advised they will defer acceptance until around 2030. Whilst there is capacity on current vehicles, there is no practical opportunity for standalone processing. Full re-procurement of haulage and sorting services is scheduled for 2028 regardless. Committee is keen to advance this service regardless of government delay. Noted

Climate and Nature Grants Report: This Committee has committed £50k for Climate and Nature grants in 2026-27, plus an additional £20k for schools and churches projects. This builds on last year's successful programme where £47k was awarded to 33 projects across the district. So far this year, £45k has been committed to 29 projects with two more in progress, while the Schools and Churches fund has allocated £9k to five projects. Wotton-based organisations have received £6k 🔗 Noted

Stroud District Council 2025 Carbon Accounts Report: The Council's 2025 carbon accounts show total emissions rose from 20,000tCO₂e (CO₂ equivalent, tonnes) in 2024 to almost 24,000tCO₂e in 2025, primarily due to the inclusion of major project accounting (Canal Project added 5,000tCO₂e).

For operational emissions:

• Scope 1 (the council's direct emissions from burning fuel) fell 69% following fleet transition to Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil and heat pump installations;
• Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased electricity) remains net zero via 100% renewable electricity;
• Scope 3 (indirect emissions from purchased goods and services) reduced 4.4% with procurement and pensions as main sources. Methodological improvements were introduced in 2024 with spend-based procurement tracking and in 2025 with major project carbon accounting. Noted

[ ▶︎ ] Video recording (42 views)

Development Control Committee – 22nd September 🔗

S.26/1185/PIP: Land at, South Street Uley: Erection of a phased development of up to three self-build dwellings (Class C3). Outside but immediately adjacent to the settlement limit on grade two land. Parish council objects. Refused in line with officer recommendation

S.25/2101/OUT: Land south of, Grange Road, Gloucester: Outline planning application for the erection of up to 49 dwellings (including 30% affordable). It constitutes a major development proposal and a departure from the adopted development plan, involving residential development outside defined settlement development limits. The proposal has generated a significant level of public interest. Called in by Chief Planning Officer. Granted in line with officer recommendation.

S.26.0782.REM: Land off, School Lane, Whitminster: Application for approval of reserved matters following outline approval S.22/0423/OUT for the erection of 44 no. dwellings with associated drainage & attenuation, open space & landscaping. Parish council has concerns and also asks for a transport plan to protect children accessing school. Granted in line with officer recommendation

[ ▶︎ ] Video recording (136 views)

Audit and Standards Committee – 29th September (Postponed) 🔗

Other news

• Major milestone reached at affordable housing development in Cam: Glebelands development in Cam has reached a significant milestone with the first roofs now installed on the 23-home affordable housing scheme. The site includes eight one-bedroom flats, ten two-bedroom houses and five three-bedroom houses, with four flats specifically designed for older residents. This forms part of the council's wider affordable housing programme, which includes ongoing work at Queens Drive in Cashes Green and recently completed schemes at Gloucester Street, Bradley Street in Wotton-under-Edge and Cambridge Avenue in Dursley.
• Unravelling creativity: Textile Study Group: Their exhibition opens at the Museum in the Park until Sunday 8th November 2026, marking their first collective show in Stroud since 2017. The exhibition explores unmaking as a creative process, using unravelling, cutting and reworking to discover new possibilities in contemporary textile art. Alongside the display, visitors can attend workshops.
• Residents asked to help recycling crews: Please assist waste and recycling crews with three simple actions: flatten large cardboard boxes to recycling box size, place recycling loose rather than in plastic bags, and recycle batteries and vapes safely via the kerbside service. Flattening cardboard maximises collection vehicle space, while keeping materials loose helps crews identify them easily and reduces contamination. Batteries and vapes pose fire risks if placed in household bins, so the council offers kerbside collection of up to 10 batteries and five vapes weekly in separate clear bags placed on the food waste bin lid.
• Pause of Local Government Reorganisation: Government unexpectedly announced that Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is being paused and reviewed, including proposals affecting Gloucestershire, and therefore Stroud District Council. The Government says the review will ensure the reorganisation process is robust, complies with legal requirements, and aligns with its wider plans for devolution and local government reform. An update on this LGR review is expected to be provided when Parliament returns from conference recess, in the week commencing 12 October. More information here: https://futuregloucestershire.org.uk 🔗
• Local Plan: While a new-style Local Plan is getting underway, following early consultation this summer, the previous draft Local Plan remains under examination with the Planning Inspectors, who have now announced a Dedicated Transport Hearing Session on 20 October 2026, at Ebley Mill. Participation in this session will be limited to representatives from Stroud District Council, Gloucestershire County Council, National Highways, and South Gloucestershire Council. This will be the first in-person session held by the Planning Inspectors since they started the examination over 3 years ago. link 🔗

Grant Funding

GBE Partnerships Grant: Local authorities in England working with Community Energy Groups can apply for grant funding of up to £40,000 or £100,000 depending on project stage, supporting solar, wind, storage and other renewable technologies. The fund totals up to £5 million over the 2026-2027 period with an eight-week application window now open. Full guidance is available at https://www.gbe.gov.uk/funding/gbe-partnerships-grant 🔗

Prepared by Cllr Gareth Kitchen 🔗 (Green) based on councillor activity in September with updates from Cllr Linda Cohen 🔗 (Lib Dem) & Cllr Catherine Braun 🔗 (Green).