Stroud Street Spaces

In 2021 Stroud Town Council commissioned a research project to identify opportunities to improve access to the town centre for walkers and cyclists.

Consultants Finlay McNab from Street Reimagined and Fiona Bennett from Highgate Transportation Ltd were contracted to conduct the research and community engagement over the Spring and Summer of 2021.

The consultants started with a review of local and national policy, previous reports and available information to better understand the town centre. This was followed by stakeholder engagement which involved interviews, focus groups and meetings with the aim of understanding the experiences of people visiting the town centre.

Community engagement included an online survey and a pop-up street stall on the Subscription Rooms forecourt. People were invited to explain what they liked, disliked or would change in Stroud town centre on the topic of walking and cycling. At the street stall people explored model making to see how these changes could be developed in key locations around the town centre.

All of the information gathered was then analysed and used to help the consultants draw up a series of ideas for changes to make the town centre safer, more inviting and accessible for walkers and cyclists. Their final report has been shared with our partners at Gloucestershire County Council and Stroud District Council and discussions will continue on refining the designs and seeking funding to implement the changes proposed.

It's important to note that some of the design ideas would be easier to deliver than others. Changes to roads and pavements require extensive technical and safety assessments before they can be built. We also recognise that some of the ideas would affect local parking – further work will be needed to understand and mitigate the impact of this.

There is no funding currently available, but Gloucestershire County Council are investing in improvements to infrastructure for walking and cycling across the county. We will continue to work with them to promote and progress schemes for Stroud Town Centre.

We will also work with Gloucestershire County Council and Stroud District Council to seek funding from government grant funds when they arise. We are currently looking at how some of the Street Spaces ideas might be incorporated in Stroud District Council's Levelling Up Fund bid.

For more information on other projects related to this research please use the following links: