Stroud District

51.748°N 2.216°W / 51.748; -2.216

Stroud District
Non-metropolitan district
Stroud from the air
Stroud from the air
Stroud shown within Gloucestershire
Stroud shown within Gloucestershire
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionSouth West England
Non-metropolitan countyGloucestershire
StatusNon-metropolitan district
Admin HQStroud
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • TypeNon-metropolitan district council
 • BodyStroud District Council
 • MPsSiobhan Baillie
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
Area
 • Total177.9 sq mi (460.7 km2)
 • Rank82nd (of 296)
Population
 (2021)
 • Total121,529
 • Rank194th (of 296)
 • Density680/sq mi (260/km2)
 • Ethnicity
98.7% White
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code23UF (ONS)
E07000082 (GSS)
OS grid referenceSO8508905550

Stroud District is a local government district in Gloucestershire, England. The district is named after its largest town of Stroud. The council is based at Ebley Mill in Cainscross. The district also includes the towns of Berkeley, Dursley, Nailsworth, Stonehouse and Wotton-under-Edge, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. Over half of the district lies within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.[1]

The neighbouring districts are Forest of Dean, Tewkesbury, Gloucester, Cotswold and South Gloucestershire.

History

The area is rich in Iron Age and Roman remnants and is of particular interest to archaeologists for its Neolithic burial grounds, of which there are over a hundred. Much of its wealth was built on the cloth industry during the Victorian era, and its many mills, most of which are now listed buildings, survive as testament to this. Much of the landscape in this area is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Cotswold Way walk leads through the area. There are gliding clubs at Aston Down and Nympsfield.

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the whole area of four former districts and parts of another three, which were all abolished at the same time:[2]

The new district was named Stroud after its largest town.[3]

Boundary reviews in 1991 saw the district gain the parish of Hillesley and Tresham from Northavon and cede the parish of Quedgeley to Gloucester.[4][5]

Governance
Stroud District Council
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Doina Cornell,
Independent
since 18 May 2023[6]
Catherine Braun,
Green
since 21 July 2022
Kathy O'Leary
since November 2018[7]
Structure
Seats51 councillors
Political groups
Administration (25)
  Greens (14)
  Independent (8)
  Liberal Democrats (3)
Other parties (26)
  Conservative (18)
  Labour (5)
  Independent (3)
Elections
First past the post
Last election
6 May 2021
Next election
2 May 2024
Meeting place
Ebley Mill, Ebley Wharf, Stroud, GL5 4UB
Website
www.stroud.gov.uk

Stroud District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Gloucestershire County Council.[8] The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[9]

Political control

The council has been under no overall control since 2011.

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[10][11][12]

Party in controlYears
No overall control1974–1976
Conservative1976–1984
No overall control1984–1996
Labour1996–1998
No overall control1998–2002
Conservative2002–2011
No overall control2011–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2001 have been:[13]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
John Stephenson-Oliver Conservative10 May 200129 Jul 2004
Chas Fellows Conservative29 Jul 200412 Nov 2009
Frances Roden Conservative12 Nov 2009May 2012
Geoff Wheeler Labour12 May 20128 May 2016
Steve Lydon Labour19 May 2016Jan 2018
Doina Cornell[14] Labour25 Jan 201830 Jun 2022
Independent30 Jun 202221 Jul 2022
Catherine Braun Green21 Jul 2022

Composition

Following the 2021 election, a by-election in May 2023 and changes of allegiance up to August 2023, the composition of the council was:

Party Councillors
Conservative 18
Green 14
Independent 11
Labour 5
Liberal Democrats 3
Total 51

Of the independent councillors, four sit together as the "Community Independents" group, four form the "Independent Left" group and the other three are not aligned to any group. All the Community Independents and Independent Left councillors had been elected in 2021 as Labour councillors.[15][16] The council's administration is formed by a co-operative alliance of the Greens, Independent Left and Community Independents. One of the Conservatives has left the party's group on the council whilst remaining a member of the party.[17] The next election is due in 2024.

Premises

The council is based at Ebley Mill in the parish of Cainscross, a suburban town adjoining the west side of the town of Stroud. The mill was built as a woollen mill in 1818 and is a grade II* listed building. It was converted to become the council's offices between 1987 and 1990.[18]

Elections
See also: Stroud District Council elections

Since the last full review of boundaries in 2016 the council has comprised 51 councillors representing 27 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[19]

The district covers a very similar area to the Stroud parliamentary constituency. The 2019 general election saw the constituency won by Siobhan Baillie, a Conservative.

Towns and parishes
Further information: List of civil parishes in Gloucestershire

The district is entirely covered by civil parishes. The parish councils for Berkeley, Cainscross, Dursley, Nailsworth, Stonehouse, Stroud and Wotton-under-Edge take the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council.[20]

Notable Members of Stroud District Council (and predecessors)

Margaret Hills (née Robertson) was the first woman elected to Stroud Urban District Council in 1928.[21] where she stood as a representative of the Stroud Women's Citizens Association (SWCA).[22] She remained a member until 1936 when the council was expanded to cover Cainscross and Rodborough.[23]

David Drew is also a former member of the council originally representing the Stonehouse Ward and more recently the Paganhill and Farmhill Ward.[24] Tom Levitt is also a former member and served for a short time before moving to High Peak in the early 1990s.[25]

References
  1. "Profile of Stroud District | LSP". lsp.stroud.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  2. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
  3. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
  4. "The Avon and Gloucestershire (County Boundaries) Order 1991", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1991/271, retrieved 28 August 2023
  5. "The Gloucestershire (District Boundaries) Order 1991", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1991/281, retrieved 28 August 2023
  6. "Council minutes, 18 May 2023". Stroud District Council. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  7. "The Chief Executive - Kathy O'Leary". Stroud District Council. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  8. "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  9. "Election maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  10. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  11. "Stroud". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
  12. Harrison, Stephen (30 April 1998). "Close contest as Labour battles to stay in control Voters across the Midlands go to the polls next Thursdaymay7. Today, Local Government Correspondent Stephen Harrison looks at the looming ballot battle in Gloucestershire". Birmingham Post. p. 4.
  13. "Council minutes". Stroud District Council. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  14. James Felton (30 June 2022). "Election hopeful Doina Cornell leaves Labour Party". Stroud News and Journal. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  15. Caroline Molloy (1 July 2022). "Stitch-up for Starmer ally backfires as Labour loses council". openDemocracy. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  16. Caroline Molloy (1 July 2022). "UPDATE – another Stroud Labour Councillor has tonight quit the party". Retrieved 2 July 2022 – via Twitter.
  17. "Your councillors by political grouping". Stroud District Council. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  18. Historic England. "Ebley Mill (Grade II*) (1223361)". National Heritage List for England.
  19. "The Stroud (Electoral Changes) Order 2015", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2015/2034, retrieved 28 August 2023
  20. "Parish Council contact details". Stroud District Council. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  21. Womens Leader (formerly Common Cause) 27 April 1928
  22. "Margaret Hills". Suffrage Pioneers. Archived from the original on 22 September 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  23. Flowers, Sophie. "From political activists to singers, here's the women we think are some of the greatest in the county". Gloucestershire Live. Archived from the original on 22 September 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  24. Boobyer, Leigh (10 May 2020). "Former Stroud MP David Drew in bid to be local councillor". Gloucestershire Live. Archived from the original on 13 March 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  25. Railings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "Stroud District Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
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