Stroud District Council leader Geoff Wheeler's weekly column

THE New Year began with heavy rain across the county. We provided hundreds of sandbags for homes at risk of flooding and helped evacuate a small number of homes in Horsley following a landslip.

Other agencies across Gloucestershire were kept very busy in worse affected areas.

With further bad weather predicted and the inevitability of snow and ice during winter, it’s a good time to remind people how to keep informed during such periods.

While the advent of social media means that it’s much easier to get messages out promptly, not everyone is online. When the time comes we rely on those who are to pass on information to their neighbours. If you were lucky enough to receive a smartphone or tablet for Christmas you may wish to follow the appropriate agencies on Twitter. I’d suggest Stroud District Council, Gloucestershire Police, Gloucestershire County Council and the Environment Agency.

It’s also worth following The Gazette (@glosgazette) as the media help us spread the word.

Thursday, January 9: Strategy & Resources Committee, Ebley Mill, 7pm

THE first committee meeting of the year and one with a major focus on finances. It includes a budget report on our council housing service.

These are dealt with separately from the other aspects of the council’s finances as they are effectively ring-fenced as they relate to income and expenditure on council houses and rental income from tenants.

Our council is the only one left in the county which still manages its social housing in-house. Other agenda items cover all other aspects of the council’s finances, including proposed spending plans for the next financial year.

These include an extension to Dursley Swimming Pool, measures to mitigate against the adverse economic climate and a couple of substantial energy-saving projects that use combined heat and power generation at Dursley Pool and at Stratford Park Leisure Centre. We also need to install a lift in the public area of the council building to allow better access and this has been budgeted accordingly. Additionally, this meeting will see a council tax freeze for 2014-15 put forward.

Tuesday, January 14: Planning meeting, Ebley Mill, 6pm

SIX applications are to be considered at this development control committee meeting. An application for 55 homes in Hardwicke, recommended for approval, will be debated, as will three other smaller applications which add up to five properties in total in Whiteshill, Nailsworth and Cam. If you’re interested in any of the applications, you can watch the meeting live at www.stroud.gov.uk/webcast

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