CHEERS! Stroud Brewery’s £1 million plans for a new canal-side base have been approved.

Staff at the brewery, led by managing director Greg Pilley, submitted plans to move 50 metres from their current Phoenix Works base to a brand new eco-facility at Kingfisher Business Park in May.

On Friday the application was approved by Stroud District Council.

Greg and his team are excited about the news, but he does reiterate that this is the first step in a lengthy process to build what he hopes is the business’s ‘final resting place’.

“It is fantastic news for us, there’s still a great deal to do, however we have made a big step and the whole team are enthusiastic and excited by the challenge,” said Greg, who has run the business for the past 11 years.

“For instance, we have still to exercise our option to purchase the site and are currently conducting a contamination survey of the site - which will also determine viability to some extent.

“We will move out of our current site by the end of March 2018 and will be launching a crowdfund opportunity early in the New Year to raise money for a final fit out, bar and brewing equipment to help our enterprise grow.”

Their new plans include further production and bottling space as well as a larger kitchen and office.

The site would include an improved bar area and a prime spot for the public to sit outside along the canal towpath.

This idea has been well received by the Stroud Valleys Canal Company.

Stroud News and Journal:

Above - An artist's impression of the proposed new base

In a statement submitted to the SDC planning website, it wrote: “Stroud Valleys Canal Company agreed that this plan would be acceptable to us as a charity.

“One of our aims is to ensure that the restored canal is well used, and we see this brewery plan as providing a destination for canal users at that end of the canal.”

The company was set to move out of its current home this month, due to the landlord requiring the site for their own business’s growth.

Greg has been eager to find a brownfield site to regenerate for Stroud Brewery’s new base and hadn’t wanted to move far, fortunately their newly approved plans could see them move to an adjacent plot.

The new base would also incorporate some sustainable design features such as the use of rainwater from the roof for washing casks and flushing toilets.

In addition, Stroud Brewery intends to have a turf roof on their new base, which as well as bringing back some greenery to what is currently a disused a car park, would also help to muffle some the sounds from the beer production.

The new site would feature 26 car parking spaces and secure racking for 35 bikes to the rear of the building and along the towpath.