At last week’s Environment Committee the main item of business was the annual Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) allocation. This is a pot of money that has been raised from developers of small sites across the district, which is then used to pay for strategic infrastructure needs resulting from that housing growth.

After considering all the bids, the Committee recommended that just under £200,000 should be allocated across four projects, including a contribution towards town centre regeneration work in Berkeley, a new community and sports pavilion in Wotton-under-Edge, toilet facilities at the proposed new 14-16 ‘Create Centre’ for 14-16 year olds at SGS College, Stroud, and surface improvements on the Dudbridge to Ryeford cycle trail. These proposals now go to the council’s Strategy & Resources Committee for final sign off. All of the remaining CIL is being held back in reserve, in anticipation of major education and other infrastructure requests likely to come from the county council over the next few years.

Other items on the Committee’s agenda included a budget update, and a public question from local litter picking champion Eric Torrington, who has challenged the council to take a firmer stance on litter from retailers - in particular our major supermarkets - around the district. Committee members were keen to respond to that challenge.

We also received a number of interesting reports from members representing the council on other local bodies, such as the Climate Leadership Group, which brings together all of the councils across Gloucestershire, the police, NHS and the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, to coordinate and accelerate action on climate change. With this in mind, it was great to see the council recently awarded an improved score under the Climate Disclosure Project, and in particular an A-grade for our approach to mitigating and adapting to climate change – more here: https://www.stroud.gov.uk/news-archive/stroud-district-council-rewarded-for-stepping-up-efforts-to-tackle-climate-change