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"Have you visited Woodchester Mansion recently? This incredible, unfinished Gothic Revival mansion, complete with rare bat roost, had fallen into disrepair when it was brought into public ownership by the Council in the 1980s.

Last week, councillors agreed to provide up to £245,000 to help secure its long-term future. This will help the Woodchester Mansion Trust, which manages and cares for this special building, prepare a major funding application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Another reminder this Fly Tipping Fortnight that we all have a legal Duty of Care over our waste. This means that if fly-tipped rubbish is traced back to you, you could be held responsible, even if you paid someone else to take it away. To avoid being caught out: ask to see a waste carrier registration number; check it on the Environment Agency's public register; request a receipt, and keep records. Taking these simple steps helps ensure your waste is disposed of legally and responsibly.

(Yet more) new planning changes come in this month. The Government will now specify which planning applications will come to the Council’s Development Control Committee, and which will be decided by officers alone. In particular, applications for less than ten dwellings (of particular significance in our villages and rural areas), will no longer come to committee. Although the opportunity to air these applications in public has gone, members of the public can still comment as usual, and Parish & Town Councils continue to be statutory consultees. 

Wonderful that the Cotswold Canals Connected partnership has been awarded the prestigious Building with Nature Full Award, recognising the way the careful construction of the canal and its landscaping benefit both people and wildlife. Huge congratulations to the team at SDC, Cotswold Canals Trust, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, Stroud Valleys Project and all our other partners.

Finally, don't forget to sign up for SDC email updates at www.stroud.gov.uk/emailalerts"

Cllr Chloe Turner, Leader of Stroud District Council 

The Cotswold Canals Connected partnership is delighted to announce that the project has been awarded the prestigious Building with Nature Full Award, recognising the exceptional delivery of high-quality green infrastructure that benefits both people and wildlife. The award was formally issued on 23 September 2026 following an independent assessment against the nationally recognised Building with Nature Standards Framework.

Building with Nature is the UK's benchmark for green infrastructure and recognises developments and projects that successfully integrate nature, wellbeing, water management and biodiversity into their design, delivery and long-term stewardship. The accreditation confirms that the Cotswold Canals Connected project has demonstrated excellence in creating a landscape that will deliver lasting environmental, social and economic benefits.

The accreditation recognises the transformation of the canal corridor into a multifunctional network of blue and green infrastructure. The project is restoring the Stroudwater Canal while creating significant new habitats, improving access to nature, supporting active travel, enhancing water management and delivering long-term benefits for local communities and wildlife.

Key achievements include the creation of what will become, once established, more than 21 hectares of priority habitat, 4km of new species-rich hedgerows, 2km of wildflower-rich towpath verges, a new community orchard, enhanced wetland habitats, and improved ecological connectivity across the Severn Vale.

The project was assessed against Building with Nature's rigorous standards covering three core themes:

• Wellbeing: Creating accessible spaces that support health, recreation, learning and community engagement.
• Water: Delivering sustainable water management, flood resilience and improved water quality.
• Wildlife: Achieving substantial biodiversity gains through habitat creation, ecological restoration and long-term stewardship.

The judges also recognised the project's commitment to long-term management, with plans in place to maintain and monitor environmental enhancements for at least 25 years after completion.

Cllr Chloe Turner, Leader of the Council and member of the Cotswold Canals Connected Project Board, said:

"Achieving the Building with Nature Full Award is a tremendous endorsement of the vision and hard work that has gone into the Cotswold Canals Connected project. Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund we set out to deliver far more than a canal restoration project. We wanted to create a landscape that supports nature recovery, improves access to the countryside, encourages healthier lifestyles and leaves a lasting legacy for future generations.

“This accreditation demonstrates that the project is delivering meaningful benefits for both people and wildlife and provides independent recognition of the high environmental standards that have guided every stage of the scheme."

The award is particularly significant because Building with Nature is widely regarded as the UK's leading standard for green infrastructure. The accreditation provides independent assurance that the project has successfully combined heritage restoration with climate resilience, biodiversity enhancement and community wellbeing.

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust has led the environmental programme, working in partnership with the Cotswold Canals Trust, Stroud District Council, Stroud Valleys Project and numerous community organisations.

The Cotswold Canals Connected project has already transformed access to the canal corridor while creating opportunities for volunteering, education, active travel and wildlife conservation.

Pete Savage, Canal Environment Consultant at Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, said:

“We're delighted that the Cotswold Canals Connected project has received this award. It shows what can be achieved when organisations, volunteers and local communities work together for nature. Not only is the project helping wildlife thrive, it’s also giving more people the chance to connect with the natural world and feel part of its future.

"Through the ongoing management of canal habitats and the continued transformation of the reserve at Fromebridge, we and our volunteers are creating spaces where both wildlife and people can flourish.” 

We are advising of forthcoming changes to the planning system in England being introduced by the Government from 31 October 2026. The changes form part of a new national approach that will affect how Stroud District Council, and other local planning authorities, make decisions on planning applications.

Under the Government's new National Scheme of Delegation, planning applications will be split into two categories.

Schedule 1 applications must be decided by professional planning officers and cannot be referred to Planning Committee.

Schedule 2 applications may be referred to Planning Committee, but only where specific criteria set by the Government are met and the application is considered to raise significant planning, economic, social or environmental issues. In most cases, planning applications will continue to be decided by planning officers.

The Government has introduced these changes to create a more consistent approach to planning decisions across England and to ensure Planning Committees focus on the applications that raise the most significant issues.

The changes do not affect people's ability to comment on planning applications. Importantly, Town and Parish Councils will continue to be statutory consultees on planning applications and their views will remain an important material consideration in the decision-making process. The requirement to consult Town and Parish Councils on relevant planning applications is unchanged. We greatly value the local knowledge and insight that Town and Parish Councils provide on behalf of local communities, which helps to inform planning decisions and ensure local circumstances are fully understood.

We will publish further information on the councils website to explain how the new national rules will operate locally and what they mean for applicants, consultees and local communities. Additional guidance will be made available in due course.