Cllr Gareth Kitchen - Green Party

Work is formally under way on a new Local Plan that will help shape how the Stroud district develops over the coming years.

Stroud District Council has reached the first formal milestone in the Government's new planning system by completing its Gateway 1 Self-Assessment. This marks the official start of a 30-month process to prepare the new Stroud District Local Plan 2026.

The Local Plan is an important document that helps guide decisions on issues such as housing, employment land, infrastructure, town centres, transport, climate change and the natural environment.

The council has published several new documents on its website, including a summary of feedback received during early scoping work carried out in summer 2026, reports from stakeholder workshops, and a proposed timetable for preparing the plan.

At this stage, the new Local Plan is still in the very early stages of development. No decisions have been made about future development locations, site allocations or the overall strategy for future housing growth across the district.

More details here:–
https://www.stroud.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/planning-strategy/new-local-plan-early-engagement/

Early Engagement Workshops summary for Wotton-under-Edge Ward

The report produced for the plan runs to 82 pages so in a not very scientific fashion, I've attempted to pull together a ward summary:-

Specific points Flagged issues directly relating to Wotton included the need to extend GP facilities or create new integrated medical provision, more facilities and play areas for young people, secondary school capacity, affordable and starter homes, flooding and flood risk management, protection of historic character and heritage assets, nature conservation sites, empty shops, affordable workspace, youth employment and tourism opportunities, road safety, car parking, EV charging and improved bridleways. In the district-wide housing distribution exercise, the Infrastructure workshop allocated 2,000 homes to Wotton-under-Edge, justified on the basis that a larger allocation could unlock investment in new retail, services and infrastructure, though constraints noted included topography and conservation area policies.

Implications The emphasis on infrastructure before development, GP capacity, secondary schooling, flood risk and transport connectivity in and around Wotton aligns closely with issues regularly raised by residents. The significant gap between the district housing target and the south cluster's ability or willingness to identify sites locally signals that difficult spatial choices lie ahead, and that early engagement by the town council and residents in the next stages will matter.

You can dig down for the detail in the original report linked to above.