Stroud district is a diverse haven for wildlife and this must be at the forefront of decision making around development.  

Having an up-to-date local plan in place for the area is incredibly important (see our blog on local plans for more info). A local plan serves as a rulebook for the council when they are evaluating planning applications. Without an up-to-date one, development could  take place in an ad-hoc way. 

While councils can still refuse planning applications, an out-of-date plan carries less weight when decisions are challenged. This means that developments refused at a local level are more likely to be granted at a national level through an appeals process, reducing the council’s ability to shape development in line with priorities.  

Developments that come forward in this way can be poorly planned for nature, so we want to avoid this wherever possible, 

Stroud District Council is currently running an early scoping consultation for its new Local Plan. This consultation is open until Sunday, 9 August 2026 (at 11 PM).  

This is a chance to have your say on all the things that matter to you. This is an early-stage consultation, containing  questions such as ‘what should the key priorities for the new local plan be?’ and ‘what sort of places should Stroud District aim to create, develop or protect over the next 15-20 years?’ Please bear in mind that this consultation will not be on potential sites for development – that will come later.  

GWT will be responding to this consultation, but the more of us that have a voice for nature, the more likely we are to make a difference. We would encourage anyone who is passionate about protecting nature and enhancing biodiversity in the district to respond, ensuring that nature gets the recognition it deserves in your response.  

We have set out a few of the key messages that we want to get across to Stroud District Council in our response, which you may also want to include: 

• Our vision for the district (question 9 of the consultation) is one where core sites for nature are protected, along with sites that will be essential for nature recovery as recognised in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy. Access to nature would be improved and made more equitable. Development sites would all have high-quality green spaces with new habitat creation, and biodiversity net gain (BNG) delivery would be ambitious (over the 10% requirement) and delivered either on site or locally in areas that will benefit nature recovery. The nature and climate crises will be tackled together, with green infrastructure playing a key role in providing temperature regulation, flood protection and carbon storage.  
   
• Question 16 asks for any local evidence and information. We would encourage you to submit anything that could be useful to inform the new local plan, for example on important local habitats and species locations (and always record and report sightings to Gloucestershire Centre for Environmental Records as we can’t help protect what we don’t know about). 
   
• Question 17 asks for any issues you think may affect the delivery of development in the district. We will be including the following points which you may also wish to include: 
   
• Protect and enhance land for nature recovery- it is vital that Gloucestershire’s new Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) acts as a spatial blueprint for development. It should guide where development must be avoided in order to support nature recovery, and what sort of enhancements should be delivered as part of the development process, preventing land with the most ecological value from being lost.  
   
• Early designs for nature and green space- green infrastructure should be designed into development plans at the earliest stage and Natural England’s Green Infrastructure framework should be used as a guide to ensure that high-quality green and blue infrastructure is integrated to support nature, address climate change and benefit the wellbeing of local communities. Nature and green space should never be an afterthought.  
   
• Mandate nature friendly design- request explicit, enforceable policies requiring nature-friendly design standards in all development, including regeneration projects. This includes things like bat boxes, hedgehog highways, swift bricks, tree lined streets and an appropriate tree in every garden, with information provided in welcome guides for new residents to educate them on the importance of maintaining these features.  
   
• Include ambitious long-term management plan/ stewardship policies- to ensure that commitments for nature made by developers are seen through. We think these should be 25+ years in order for a good level of habitat maturity to be reached. 
   
• Require stronger biodiversity baselines- Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) must be ambitious and exceed 10 per cent wherever possible, to really drive forward nature recovery. Off-site BNG should be kept as local as possible.  
   
• Mitigate and reduce recreational pressure- recreational pressure on internationally important sites for nature (ie along the Severn Estuary SSSI/ SPA/SAC/Ramsar, Rodborough Common SAC and the Cotswolds Beechwoods SAC) must be properly mitigated and managed to prevent harm and degradation, through provision of well placed, well designed and well managed SANGS (Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space) and other local green spaces.  
   
• Ensure that nature and climate crisis policies work together. The fact that nature and climate are intertwined, and you can’t address one without the other, should be reflected in the local plan. Ambitious policies should be included on how nature can support climate and vice versa. For example, through ambitious policies on tree canopy cover and sustainable drainage.   

You do not have to answer every question in order to submit a response. You can put N/A for those questions that you do not wish to respond to. Thank for your being a voice for nature in Stroud district. 

 Please take part in the consultation here: stroud.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/planning-strategy/new-local-plan-2026/