IN JUST over a week’s time we hit September and it’ll be the start of a new academic year for pupils, students and staff across the country.

We’re also now at the end of the August recess in which there are no formal council meetings.

The first meeting to take place, post recess, will be the meeting of the council’s development control (planning) committee on Tuesday, September 5.

It promises to be an interesting one as it includes the high profile application for an Aldi supermarket in Stroud, which was unfortunately deferred on two previous occasions.

The meeting is likely to be a long one, so it will start at 2pm rather than the usual 6pm slot.

You can come along to Ebley Mill to watch, but seating is limited so viewing it online at stroud.gov.uk/webcasts might be an easier option. 

Aside from other meetings, here’s a quick update on some major initiatives we’re progressing on the ground between now and Christmas.

Work has started at Brimscombe Port to survey the area in advance of future development work.

Along with a £2million loan from the Homes and Communities Agency the council has put forward £1million to prepare the port for a potential development partner to build homes, restore the canal, build business premises and provide local facilities.

Draft plans on how a redeveloped port could look will be available for consultation within the next two months.

Having referred to the canal, November is an important month for the restoration project as we lead a bid to The Heritage Lottery Fund for £10million to link the recently restored section of canal westwards to Saul Junction.

This would connect it to the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal and the national canal network.

The council has put £3million forward for the project, and if the funding bid is successful, we’ll ultimately see boats travelling 10 miles into the district, bringing economic and social benefits.

Work on nine new industrial units costing £1.9million is also about to start in Littlecombe to provide workspace for industrial and engineering businesses.

Littlecombe is a great example of a well-planned development that balances living and working in an attractive environment.

In a couple of weeks’ time we’ll be sending our annual newsletter to all of the district’s households with more detailed information on these and other initiatives.

Bearing in mind they all relate to making our district a better place to live, work and enjoy, we’ll also be encouraging people to come along to events to give us their views on how the district should evolve for future generations as we begin reviewing our local plan – the blueprint for the district’s future.

We’re keen to get your views on how our district should develop and your input is crucial. I’ll keep you updated.