Nick Boles MP, the Planning Minister visits Stroud

Last night we had the last meeting of the town council's working group on Neighbourhood Planning. We were tasked with examining if this would be a suitable undertaking for the town and its community in the light of government changes to the national planning system and their objective of introducing 'localism'. I now have to gather all the research we have done and produce a report to the town council in May.

It is a very complex issue and in our area of the wider district of Stroud there has been a lot of community dissent towards the proposals for large new housing schemes by developers. One in particular affecting an area within our council boundaries in the Slad Valley, which is Laurie Lee country, was turned down by the planning authority but is now going to an appeal.

Our local MP invited the Planning Minister Nick Boles to meet representatives of the various housing action groups who are opposing these particular new developments, but they are not against new housing in general. I was invited to attend by the Slad Valley Action Group and turned up at Leonard Stanley village hall at midday.

Nick Boles was very direct, clear and forthright but I don't think he changed any minds as to the divisions that have arisen from the recent changes to the planning rules and laws. I was going to ask a technical question that has arisen about how a Neighbourhood Plan might be organised in Stroud town, but I felt I would be hijacking the main purpose of the meeting. I think we will write a letter to his department for definitive clarification. I took this picture from where I was seated in the audience so I didn't have much choice of framing.

Before he was ushered away by his rather stentorian minder, (shades of 'The thick of it', I thought), he was collared by several local press representatives, including a reporter from BBC Radio Gloucestershire, Kate from the Stroud News and Journal, and Ben from The Citizen, a more regional daily paper. Ben and I had a quick chat and he and Kate said they might like to use one of my pictures, although I doubt if it will happen. They don't pay anything for pictures but I quite like to get them in the paper on the odd occasion.

Now I have to start the final preparation of the working group's report to Council, as well as writing a summary of the Finance committee's activity for the last year of the council. I keep thinking I may get some time off for gardening, but there is always something to do.