Working for Stroud - civic leaders sign pledge to improve town (From Stroud News and Journal)

Working for Stroud - civic leaders sign pledge to improve town

THE spirit of co-operation officially arrived in Stroud this week when civic leaders signed a document which binds them to work closer together.

Leading lights from Stroud Town Council, Stroud District Council, Gloucestershire County Council and the Stroud Chamber of Trade met in Stroud to sign a Concordat which encourages the four organisations to make a concerted effort to improve the town centre.

Sue Creswick, Stroud town clerk, said that although a draft list had been drawn up it was too early to identify specific projects which would be tackled by the concordat.

She said the fine details still need to be negotiated by the partners and decision will have to be made about which organisation will carry out which jobs.

"Some of them will fall into place because they'll be under the jurisdiction of the different authorities," said Ms Creswick. "Those who can do certain things will do them.

"There will be cosmetic projects which the town council can undertake as well as more strategic things that the district council and county council can lead on." The clerk said the concordat could only be good news for the town.

"It is a formal statement outlining what should be happening, and encouraging us all to put our backs into it," she said.

The concordat says: "we want to make Stroud Town Centre a place that people want to come to live, also to shop, do business and visit time and again.

"We want it to be a place where everyone is accepted and welcome.

"To achieve this we recognise the need to work together and to work co-operatively with other organisations and groups.

"We know that others look to us to take a lead in the town centre's regeneration. "So we are signing this pledge as a formal commitment."

The document is signed by Stroud's mayor, Cllr John Marjoram, leader of Stroud District Council, Cllr John Stephenson-Oliver, chairman of Stroud and District Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Peter Bateman and Cllr John Cordwell, cabinet member for strategic planning on Gloucestershire County Council.