STROUD District Council leader Geoff Wheeler keeps you up to date with what is happening at the council

WARD Boundary Review

Since early 2014, Stroud District has been undergoing a District Ward Boundary Review. The Review is conducted by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Stroud District Council and members of the public had the opportunity to put forward a proposed warding pattern for the District during a consultation period last autumn.

The Boundary Commission is now getting ready to publish its Draft Recommendations for the proposed warding patterns based on the submissions received.

These recommendations will be published on February 3, when another public consultation period will begin, running until March 30.

If you are interested in what the Boundary Commission is recommending our ward layout should be, you can access the consultation and all other documents relating to the review via our website at stroud.gov.uk/boundaryreview.

The final recommendations will be published on June 30 and the boundary changes will be implemented ready for the council elections in May 2016.

Christmas Tree Recycling

Christmas has come and gone and now is the time to recycle your Christmas tree. Up to January 19. you can recycle your Christmas trees throughout the district. These skips will be checked and emptied on a daily basis and the contents taken to Hempstead for shredding. The skips can be found throughout the district at the following locations: Berkeley – Library Car Park Bussage – Village Hall Cainscross – Council Car Park Cam – Tesco Car Park Dursley – Dursley Pool Car Park Haresfield – Blooms Garden Centre Leonard Stanley – Pavillion Car Park Minchinhampton – Dr Brown’s Road Nailsworth – Wyevale Garden Centre Slimbridge – Royal British Legion Car Park Stroud – Cheapside Car Park Whitminster – Highfields Garden World Wotton under Edge – Chippings Car Park Upton St Leonards – Perry Orchard

Javelin Park

Eric Pickles’ decision to allow an incinerator at Javelin Park was very disappointing. We believe that the best way of disposing of refuse is to recycle as much of it as possible.

We hope that Gloucestershire County Council will review its intentions and not put at risk all the good work this council and our residents have achieved with recycling.

Encouraging Assessment

Stroud District Council has received an encouraging assessment from a Local Government Association team which was invited to carry out a broad ranging assessment of our work. The team was made of chief officers and leading councillors from four different councils.

It’s always pleasing to have a positive review but the final assessment was actually quite flattering. In its overall assessment, the team commended the council’s “ambition for its local communities and economy”, its track record for delivery and its innovative regeneration work including its council house building programme, the canal restoration project, the Littlecombe development in Dursley and regeneration at Brimscombe Port.

With funding for local government becoming tighter and tighter, we need to ensure that we deploy our resources as effectively and efficiently as we can.

The feedback from the review will help us achieve this.

From an economic perspective, which was the main focus of the review, we’ll be strengthening our relationships with the local enterprise partnership, developing our councillors’ knowledge of the needs of businesses and increasing our focus on advice and support for local businesses.