DISTRICT Councillors have approved an important step towards creating a new waterside community – and everyone is welcome to give their views on the proposed development next month.

Stroud District Council’s selected developer for the Brimscombe Port site, St Modwen Homes, will hold a consultation event on Thursday, December 12 at Stroud Brewery and Taproom.

Once the Development Agreement has been signed, a planning application for low carbon homes, community facilities, commercial space, public realm and a restored canal basin is anticipated to be made in the spring next year, and the public’s views will be taken into consideration before it is submitted.

On Thursday (Thursday) the Council’s Strategy and Resources Committee approved the updated Heads of Terms for the development agreement between the council and St Modwen Homes, and resolved to ask the Council to approve investing £630,000 in the site by buying and letting new commercial space which will form part of the development, alongside around 150 homes, of which 30 per cent will be affordable council homes, for rent and shared ownership.

The council has contributed £2.6million to the project at the former canal port.

Government support totalling £2.776million has been loaned by Homes England, and granted by the One Public Estate Programme to help make the former industrial site viable for development, given the complexity of the work needed by the developer to take the site out of the flood plain, to address additional costs such as ground contamination, to reinstate the canal and port basin, to deculvert the River Frome and to install a new access road.

The site is allocated in the SDC Local Plan for 150 dwellings, canal-related tourism development and employment uses.

Emerging proposals for Brimscombe Port were consulted on in 2022, and St Modwen Homes has been working with Stroud District Council to progress the scheme, taking on board that feedback.

St Modwen Homes has also sought pre-application advice from the Local Planning Authority and the South-West Design Review Panel. Sustainability and nature will be a focus, with a requirement for the development to meet Building with Nature and Building for Life 12 standards. 

Brimscombe and Thrupp Parish Council continues to be updated monthly on progress of the project.

Council Leader Catherine Braun said after the meeting: “The Council has been working with community partners on the vision for redevelopment since 2004, so it’s very exciting that we are now close to completing the final development agreement.

“Community engagement is key to the success of this project and I am delighted that there is so much interest in this next phase of work.

"St Modwen Homes will be consulting before Christmas, and is committed to ongoing provision of information and engagement, which will include working with local schools and stakeholders. 

"Information on project progress is also available on the Stroud District Council website, and people can join our Brimscombe Port mailing list for further updates.”

All are welcome to attend the consultation session between 3pm and 7pm on December 12 but anyone who can’t make it can submit their views at www.stmodwenhomes.co.uk/brimscombeport from that date.

Comments can also be emailed to brimscombeportconsultation@stmodwen.co.uk by Friday, January 17, 2025.

The proposals can also be viewed at the council offices at Ebley Mill until the 17 January 2025.