STROUD District Council leader Steve Lydon keeps you up to date with council matters

Friday, July 1 - Waste collections

TODAY saw Ubico take over the contract for waste and recycling collections from Veolia Environmental Services. You shouldn’t notice any changes as your waste and recycling will collected in the same way and by the same teams as they transferred over to the new provider. In November, the new food waste recycling service will start. In advance of this, new food waste and rubbish bins will be delivered to households across the district. We’ll be sending information packs on the new service directly to every household in the middle of August and you can find out more online now at stroud.gov.uk/newscheme for details.

Saturday, July 2 - Sneaky peek at museum

THE museum held a “sneaky peek” afternoon on both days of the weekend to show off the walled garden project as it nears completion. The majority of the landscaping in the garden, which plays host to the stylish new learning pavilion building, has been completed along with some of the planting, but it was a great opportunity for the museum team to receive feedback on the work so far. They are now looking for donations of particular flowers and plants, as well as financial contributions, so that finishing touches can be applied before the garden opens later this year. To find out what they are looking for, visit museuminthepark.org.uk for details. Thank you to everyone who has supported the project. It’s looking great.

Thursday, July 7 - Strategy & resources committee, Ebley Mill, 7pm

THE scope of this committee is quite broad as it often has to approve recommendations from other committees when there are significant financial or resource implications. This meeting approved the community infrastructure levy, which determines how we raise money from housing development projects and use it for roads, public transport, schools and nurseries, green spaces, community halls and a wealth of other initiatives to benefit the wider community. The council’s asset management strategy, which I mentioned last week, also went to this committee for approval. Improvements to the council’s IT systems were also covered. You can view a recording of the meeting online at stroud.gov.uk/webcasts

Friday, July 8 - GEGJC, Shire Hall, 2pm

The Gloucestershire Economic Growth Joint Committee is made up from leaders and chief executives of the county’s seven councils and local enterprise partnership representatives. A packed agenda including an update on the Growth Deal bid to government, which needs to be submitted by the end of the month. The projects contained within the bid cover the cyber security of the UK, skills development, opening up of strategic housing and employment, land, housing growth, increased productivity and regeneration. These are multi-million pound projects that will benefit the county, and at a local level the regeneration of Brimscombe Port and attracting more businesses to the Littlecombe development in Dursley are key priorities in the bid.