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

  • Tuesday, January 26 – Business Networking Event

OVER 60 firms attended this event which gave advice on business rates, cyber crime, websites, social media, food hygiene, planning and trading standards.

Advice was on hand from The Growth Hub, Severn Wye Energy Agency and the Department for Work and Pensions.

It was a ‘hands-on’ and practical event and I’m pleased to hear that post-event Feedback has been extremely positive, with 100 per cent of those attending stating that they would attend a similar event.

If you run a business it might be an idea to get in touch to hear about future events. Email business.consultation@stroud.gov.uk or call 01453 754296.

  • Thursday, January 28 – polling stations

Last month’s council meeting set the budget and council tax rate for SDC and made changes to polling districts and polling stations.

This may impact on where you vote in the May elections, so when you receive your polling card, check the address of your polling station as it may have changed.

There’s always the option of a postal vote. If you want to move to postal voting rather than vote at a polling station, call the council’s elections team on 01453 754886.

  • Friday, January 29 – Neil Carmichael MP

T he chief executive and I met our MP to discuss local issues and gave him a copy of the recently adopted Local Plan.

Page three of the 210-page document dedicates it to John Balfe, a council planners who passed away last year – a nice touch.

  • Sunday, February 14 – food hygiene

Valentine’s Day is coming and last month I mentioned the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme if you plan to eat out.

Our environmental health officers assess restaurants, cafés and bars and assign the appropriate rating.

This month the Food Standards Agency is running a campaign to ask firms to display their ratings and suggest that customers think twice if they aren't displayed.

The aim is to protect the public from risks such as food poisoning and to drive up standards.

In Wales it is compulsory for businesses to display their ratings for customers to see but this is not the case for the rest of the UK.

The ratings for all 440,000 food firms are online, and over 93 per cent have a rating of three, four or five. Visit food.gov.uk/ratings to check ratings before you book.