CEO Relocation Updates

Stroud Town Council has appointed Extended Studio, a Stroud based architecture practice, to lead the renovation and upgrade of the Locking Hill Surgery building. The project aims to transform the dated medical facility into a modern, multi-use community space, serving all of Stroud's residents.

Extended Studio specialises in sustainable design and community-focused projects. "We're thrilled to be working on this important project for Stroud," said Tom Sykes, co-founder of Extended Studio. "Our values are centred around creating spaces that bring people together and make a positive impact. The Locking Hill Surgery renovation is a great opportunity, allowing us to breathe new life into an existing building while better meeting the needs of the local community."

Town Clerk/CEO Helen Bojaniwska highlighted the council's extensive consultation efforts to understand what Stroud wants from the new space. "We have sent questionnaires to partner organisations, charities, community hubs, schools and more to really listen to the needs of our residents. The overriding message from you was a desire for an accessible, multi-use facility that strengthens connections between residents and their most local tier of government."

Tom Sykes has begun the preliminary work by meeting with Stroud Town Council staff and councillors. "I want to ensure we capture as much of their vision and the public's wants for this transformative project as we can," he explained.

Laura Beattie, Community Development Officer, is keen to promote the new premises as a vibrant community asset. "We hope to co-create the space: hosting workshops, social gatherings, group activities, presentations and all sorts of events put on by local organisations. Extended Studio's community-focused approach makes them ideally suited to help make this a reality."

With the experienced Extended Studio team now on board, Stroud Town Council is confident the Locking Hill Surgery renovation will result in a modern, welcoming space that better serves residents for decades to come.

Residents are welcome to send their perspectives about Locking Hill and what should be prioritised there to council@stroudtowncouncil.gov.uk and organisations who would like to make use of the space are encouraged to reach out to describe their requirements.

More information: https://extendedstudio.com/contact-3/

Dear Residents of Stroud Town,

We would like to update you on the progress of our move from our current Town Council offices to a potential new premises at Locking Hill. There have been many stages of consultation undertaken already on this proposed relocation, and ensuring that as many residents as possible were well informed and supportive was a key part of being able to secure a Public Works Loan to fund the move.

We are very pleased that we were able to secure a Public Works Loan as this will help us to spread the impact of the move over time so the costs do not have too sudden an implication on Council Tax payments.

We have been consulting with our partner organisations, community groups and local charities about their needs within the new space and will feed this information into our plans when refurbishing Locking Hill.

There may be a gap between moving out of Thanet House and getting in to Locking Hill. We are currently looking into some temporary offices so that we can continue to be working with residents and having a point of contact with the communities we serve. We have experience of conducting council business remotely during Covid so we are confident residents will still receive the standard of support they are accustomed getting from STC.

We all know no move is ever straightforward, but we are weighing up the risks carefully and are optimistic that the new location will be so much more than just offices - it will represent a strong community asset.

Helen Bojaniwska FSLCC
Chief Executive Officer (Town Clerk)

I'm pleased to let you know that Stroud Town Council has launched a new timeline platform to provide residents with regular updates on the progress of plans to purchase the former Locking Hill surgery site. Transparency is a vital part of our work, and we want to ensure our community is kept fully informed throughout this process.

The timeline can be viewed on our website, where you will also find other information about our plans for the site. Additionally, the timeline has been published on the Preceden platform, which allows for easy, interactive viewing.

We will be updating this timeline on a regular basis as key milestones are reached, so residents can stay up-to-date in real-time. Our goal is to purchase the Locking Hill site and transform it into a valuable community asset, and we are committed to listening to you throughout.

I encourage all those who are interested to check the timeline regularly and reach out if you have any questions through email: council@stroudtown.gov.uk

Helen Bojaniwska FSLCC
Chief Executive Officer (Town Clerk)

Dear Residents of Stroud,

I am delighted to announce that the potential move of Stroud Town Council's offices to the former Locking Hill surgery site is gaining momentum, thanks to an overwhelmingly positive response from our recent consultation. With 85 percent of the respondents in favour, it's clear that this move makes good financial sense to many of you. Thank you to everyone who voted or contacted us.

It was great to meet with residents during our day long pop-up in Five Valleys and answer all your questions. We have made a note of the reasons some people feel uncertain about the move and will be sure to address these concerns as we move forward.

The next steps will include reaching out to community groups and our partnership organisations to ensure the new building meets everyone's needs. We will also progress all the legal due diligence tasks, like building surveys.

Your input is invaluable, so please share your ideas by emailing us at council@stroudtown.gov.uk. Keep an eye out for upcoming opportunities for further opportunities to get involved. Community use, accessibility and carbon reduction will be key areas of focus.

Any council tax increases will not affect residents until 2025 and we will provide updates on this page.

The Council is committed to making decisions in the best interest of Stroud. Thank you for your continued support as we embark on this exciting new opportunity to be of service to the town.

Helen Bojaniwska FSLCC
Chief Executive Officer (Town Clerk)

Dear residents of Stroud,

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to provide feedback and submit questions during our public consultation on the proposed relocation of Stroud Town Council's offices and facilities. Your engagement and input are invaluable in helping us make this important decision.

There have been many questions around the costs, benefits, and specific details of the potential move to the former Locking Hill Surgery site. We have been responding as much as possible to questions on our social media platforms and to emails sent to council@stroudtown.gov.uk. All your thoughts - good and bad - will be presented to the 16 current councillors (elected volunteer representatives who are residents of Stroud) for their consideration at a full council meeting on March 4/03/2024.

Let me address some of the key points that were raised:

Cost and Financing

The estimated cost of purchasing and renovating the Locking Hill property is around £525,000. This is comparable to the £600,000 that would be required to refurbish our current offices at 58 London Road. The amount we have been quoted are high because of the Grade 2 status of the building and because what we are needing to do it is a conversion from domestic flats to professional offices. We anticipate funding the relocation through a public works loan, the proceeds from selling 58 London Road (estimated £325,000), existing reserves, and a modest 2.966% increase to the annual precept (council tax) which equates to just £6.57 per year (13p per week) for a Band D household. The increase to Council Tax would not affect residents until April 2025.

Need for Relocation

Our current offices are outdated, lack accessibility, and cannot properly accommodate our expanded services and staff. The new site would provide much-needed parking, storage for our Green Spaces Team (eliminating £11,500 in annual rental fees), and flexible community spaces - helping us better serve Stroud residents. As a former doctor's surgery, it is already designed with accessibility in mind. We want to work in partnership with the community and most of our work cannot be conducted remotely. With a new building we can innovate and grow.

Other Options Explored

We have closely examined potential alternative sites like the Old Town Hall and Brunel Mall units. However, neither properly meets our needs - the Old Town Hall requires significant retrofitting as another listed building with poor access, while the Brunel Mall units are too small and disconnected. The fact that there is outside space is an added bonus at Locking Hill. If anyone can make the grounds more attractive and bio-diverse it is our Green Spaces Team. The space for bike racks and short stay visitor car parking is also of great use in ensuring the public can get to us in person.

Thank you again for your thoughtful questions and engagement. While not every concern can be resolved, I hope this helps provide clarity around the key factors driving this proposed move. We remain committed to making this decision in the best long-term interests of Stroud.

Helen Bojaniwska FSLCC
Chief Executive Officer (Town Clerk)

Dear Residents of Stroud,

As CEO of Stroud Town Council, I am writing to inform you of our plans to relocate the Town Council offices and the reasons behind this important decision. We absolutely must have the support of residents to make this move happen, we cannot proceed without your involvement. The consultation is a real democratic process and we can only get the loan with your vote.

The survey we need you to complete is one single question: Are you happy to pay an extra 13p a week for Stroud residents to have use of this building? Yes or No.

Many thanks to those who have responded so far, paper copies are available from 58 London Road.

After one day of live consultation the public have asked questions about parking at Locking Hill. As well as being able to house the vehicles we own for the work of the Green Spaces Team, the site at Locking Hill will mean we can able to offer short stay visitor parking for events and those attending the Town Council offices for support. The new site has better parking and access for those with disabilities. We strive to make the Town Council as inclusive and welcoming as possible for all.

The other questions have been about moving to an out-of-town premises such as Ebley Mill. This would not be suitable for the work of a Town Council. In our current offices, our morning drop-in times are busy with residents coming in for help with town-based matters. We are hyper-local in our work and make a difference to people on the ground, sending community staff into Hubs and spaces across Central, Farmhill and Paganhill, Slade, Trinity, Uplands and Valley. We intend to share the new space with community organisations such as mobile banking, Citizens Advice and the Network of Stroud Hubs.

In the cost-of-living crisis we take people's financial concerns seriously. We hope that by taking time to understand all the ways the building would become a public space residents will feel that they are getting really good value for that 13p a week.

We cannot emphasise the long-term council tax cost savings enough. Owning our own larger premises will save money currently spent on renting external depots for storage and vehicles. This is a prudent use of public funds. We will not need to raise the council tax by 13p a week for this project until April 2025.

The sale of our current London Road offices will provide funds for a phased renovation of the new property. Our ownership of this major Stroud building will ensure it remains an asset and brings the surgery back into public use. This is especially beneficial for regeneration of that portion of town following the relocation of the library.

We can't wait to refresh the space: plant for biodiversity, have signage to welcome people to the town and make Locking Hill the landmark site it ought to be. No other potential owners would be motivated to make that happen.

We understand change can be concerning, but we are confident this move will allow us to better serve Stroud now and in the coming years. We welcome any feedback or questions you may have.

Helen Bojaniwska FSLCC
Chief Executive Officer (Town Clerk)