Tuesday March 5 – Planning Advisory Panel – Local Plan
I didn't submit a diary column last week but it's worth recapping on this important meeting which took place at the start of the month. It inspired passionate discussion and debate – which isn't surprising when you're discussing the potential locations for thousands of homes for future generations. One thing which stood out for me from the meeting was the strong emphasis on jobs. The Local Plan will leave a long and important legacy. It isn't just about homes – it's about creating sustainable communities for people to live and work so that we can ensure a strong local economy for many years to come.
Tuesday March 5 – Major employers
Today, along with the council's chief executive, I visited local logistics company Howard Tenens. It's another of the district's success stories with around 500 employees. The company is in the process of expanding its operations in Sharpness, which will be a great boon to the regeneration of the area.
Wednesday March 13 – Committee Structure Working Group
At the start of the year I mentioned that, from May, there will be significant changes to how Stroud District Council makes decisions. We're moving from a cabinet system, which has a leader and a small number of councillors who are responsible for a large number of important decisions, to a committee system with greater involvement across the council. A similar change was made at neighbouring South Gloucestershire Council a year ago, hence two of its councillors visited us to share their experiences so far. We already work closely with the districts in our county but maybe we should do the same with this neighbouring authority more often too?
Thursday March 21 – Incinerator planning application
A very important day for Stroud, and indeed the entire county, as Gloucestershire County Council determines the planning application for the proposed waste incinerator at Javelin Park in Haresfield. This council has publicly stated its opposition to the project and one of our senior officers will be putting our objections forward at the meeting.
There are numerous reasons for our objection but the most fundamental is the logic behind the need for such a method of waste disposal.