Full Council, canal and industrial heritage consultation

The lack of blog entries this week is no reflection on activity! Indeed I was planning to catch up yesterday morning but a powercut stopped me then this morning and late last night my broadband was playing up - anyhow I am here now...the brook meeting on Tuesday night I will report in another blog, but I can report on a consultation meeting re the industrial heritage area proposals (see more below) and of course last night's Full Council meeting...

Photo: canal, Brimscombe

The Full Council was the AGM and saw new councillors officially welcomed - including Fi Macmillan as our sixth Green. I have to say it was not the friendliest of meetings - the SDC website will have the webcast available soon but I don't recommend!

Indeed AGM's never seem to be that great - this one was no exception with various comments being thrown across the floor. However in terms of the Green party I have to say I was delighted we managed to secure all the seats we were seeking - we now have two on Development Control when originally we were only being offered one, plus three on the two Scrutiny Panels - I am on the same as last year - this is great as it will mean I can continue to push through projects already started. Plus seats on all the other usuals like Housing Management, Planning Strategy, Licensing, Standards etc.

Not much else got discussed - one of the shortest meetings ever - we started after our political group meetings at 7 and were away by 8.40pm when often we can be there much, much later....

As we left we were handed hot of the press (and meant to be available today on SDC website - haven't checked yet) the consultant's report into the Cotswold Canal Regeneration Phase 1a. I have only read half so far but have to note that I do have concerns re this project: the loss of British Waterways and their funds was a major blow. We have to be clear about the benefits and why we are still going ahead - more in future posts on this one - indeed there is a Council meeting coming up next month devoted just to the canal.

Anyhow linked to how the canal will be developed is the Industrial Heritage Conservation Area consultation which I mentioned earlier - it is for a Supplementary Planning Document which was published on Wednesday 7th May for six weeks public consultation. There was a display of the plans at Ebley Mill and I was surprised to find myself as the only person interested in viewing them there - perhaps not advertsied well or perhaps folk are seeing it at some of the other venues?

Anyhow Volume 4 is the key one and contains a draft Supplementary Planning Document, which will form part of the Local Development Framework for Stroud District ie it will directly guide future planning decisions. The Industrial Heritage Conservation Area (IHCA) is thought to be among Europe’s largest conservation areas (it has an area of over 600 hectares, and stretches more than 14 miles along the canals corridor, west to east from Saul to Daneway, and almost 4 ½ miles down the Nailsworth Valley to Longfords Mill). In addition to the IHCA, the study area for this conservation area review takes in seven other conservation areas: Dunkirk & Watledge, Ebley Mills, Lodgemore & Fromehall, Longfords Mills, Stanley Mills, St Mary’s & Belvedere and Stroud Station. It also affects small parts of three other conservation areas: South Woodchester, Chalford Vale and Nailsworth.

The IHCA was designated in 1987 and has never before undergone formal character appraisal or conservation area review, although it has been extended at several points in the past. This review consists of, and I quote:

· An appraisal of the character and special architectural and historic interest of the affected conservation areas. This is contained within volumes 1-3 of the conservation area statement. · A boundary review (this is contained in volume 1). 67 amendments are proposed, some of which are extremely minor. The most significant proposed changes involve extensions at Framilode and at Watledge (Nailsworth). · The identification of issues and pressures that are affecting the conservation area(s). · The formulation of policy and design guidance to address issues and pressures and to preserve or enhance the conservation area’s character and appearance. Part of the Management Proposals SPD consists of a Design Framework, which aims to provide specific design advice for residents, developers and planning decision-makers. This partially comes out of a Heritage Lottery Fund requirement for improved design guidance in the canals corridor, which was a condition of funding for the Cotswold Canals restoration. The design guidance has been broadened out to be useful to the whole conservation area, rather than just the canals corridor.

The draft SPD was approved for the purposes of public consultation at the Cabinet meeting of 31st January 2008. The draft Character Appraisal will be approved for public consultation by the Cabinet member for Planning and Licensing and the Strategic Head of Development Services. Estimated date for adoption of SPD: 6th November 2008. The final draft of the Conservation Area Statement (Conservation Area Management Proposals SPD and three volumes of Character Appraisal) will be considered for adoption by Cabinet on 2nd October and finally by Council on 6th November. From Wednesday 7th May copies of the SPD and the SA are available for inspection at the Customer Service Centre, SDC Council Offices, Ebley Mill, Stroud, Glos, GL5 4UB, during normal office hours, Monday to Thursday 8.45 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and Friday 8.45 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Copies are also available to view at: • Minchinhampton, Nailsworth, Stroud and Stonehouse Public libraries • Parish and Town Council offices at Stroud, Stonehouse, Nailsworth, Cainscross, Chalford, Rodborough and Minchinhampton, • Paper copies are also being sent to all town and parish councils along the IHCA study area and may be available to view by arrangement with the parish/town clerk. • Council’s website at www.stroud.gov.uk/ihca Consultation events (6-9pm), to which any interested stakeholders and members of the public are openly invited, have been arranged for several dates during the six week consultation period, at venues in each of the three conservation area legs (east of Stroud, south of Stroud and west of Stroud). Remaining events: Mortimer Rooms, Nailsworth Monday 19th May; Thrupp Social Centre Tuesday 20th May; St Peters Church, Framilode Wednesday 21st May. Representations about the SPD, Conservation Area Character Appraisal and/or the Sustainability Appraisal should be received between Wednesday 7th May and 5 pm Wednesday 18th June 2008 addressed to: Planning Strategy, Stroud District Council, Ebley Mill, Westward Road, Stroud, Glos. GL5 4UB. Representations can be made on one of the official response forms available from all the places listed above or by using the interactive system on the Council’s website.

This proposal is important and will I hope provide some protection of economic areas within the valleys - too often there are pushes to develop residential sites in the old mills but we must keep economic areas local - already our area sees too much commuting out. Anyhow more later - tea time!