‘IMPRESSED and surprised’ was the reaction of planning expert Phil Williams after spending a day in Stroud.

The Royal Town Planning Institute president was the guest of Stroud District Council’s development team and toured Littlecombe, in Dursley where the old Lister Petter factory site is being redeveloped for mainly residential use.

Afterwards he visited the new M5 Gloucester services and took a boat trip on the Stroudwater Canal.

He was able to see the contribution the restored canal has had on achieving new high-quality residential development.

Afterwards he said: “There’s a lot happening here. For its size, SDC is leading some exciting projects that are transforming the area and bringing in huge investment.

“At the same time, the planners are managing these changes sensitively without putting the brakes on development.”

John Longmuir, the council’s planning team manager said he was honoured to host Phil on his visit and was grateful for his feedback.

“Sometimes, we don’t realise just how many quality things are happening here compared with other places,” he said.

The Royal Town Planning Institute is the UK's leading planning body for spatial, sustainable and inclusive planning and is the largest planning institute in Europe with over 23,000 members.