Stroud Town Centre’s Neighbourhood Development Plan - Shaping the heart of Stroud
Date: Planning for opportunities 2015 to 2035
Sponsor: Stroud Town Council with a volunteer Steering Group
Project status: Report delivery end of May 2015
Independent Examination: June 2015
Referendum: Autumn 2015 and adoption into the Local Plan
Budget: Run through Stroud Town Council £37,000 of which £7,000 is a Locality Grant
Stroud Town Centre’s Neighbourhood Development Plan Shaping the heart of Stroud
Five of Stroud Preservation Trust’s trustees were deeply involved in developing, planning and implementing all aspects of the Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) for Stroud’s Town Centre. Steve Hurrell was then a Stroud Town Councillor and provided the link into ensuring Council support, ably helped by the Town Clerk.
After the positive August 2016 Referendum the NDP was formally accepted by Stroud District Council in October 2016 and now plays a part in planning initiatives for the town centre for the next 20 years.
Shaping the heart of Stroud was a programme of community consultation, events and research to create a plan for the centre of the town. Five of Stroud Preservation Trust’s six trustees were heavily involved in this process as for us it is important to be a part of Stroud’s future. The Cheapside Opportunities Report came from an SPT initiative and because of the quality of that document Stroud’s Town Council decided to go for the Neighbourhood Development Planning process.
A small Steering Group of volunteers worked on behalf of Stroud Town Council to come up with a plan that could be independently examined and then voted on by the people of Stroud in a referendum. If this plan was accepted by local residents and businesses it becomes part of the Local Plan and helps steer any potential development in Stroud over the next 20 years.
To date well over 2500 people were been involved in telling us what they think of Stroud and what they feel is important. Public consultation went on throughout the town, with community groups and in shops throughout the period of July 2014 to November 2015.
Everyone who uses the town centre needs to feel they have had a say whether business, shoppers, for recreation or as residents.
One part of the work that is especially important to SPT is looking at the listed buildings in the town centre (over 100) and at their condition. This is a project that SPT trustees and volunteers will continue through 2015 and over the next years and there will be regular updates on these buildings on the website.
To see the final report, which is hosted on the District Council’s website, click on
http://shapingtheheartstroud.org