Making Places 33 Shaping the future of Stroud District In developing a Local Plan for the District, it is important to have a vision of the kind of place we want to be living in, working in or visiting in the future. This chapter takes a closer look at the opportunities, needs, priorities and distinct characteristics of different parts of the District, and how particular places are likely to be affected by strategic growth. Stroud District Local Plan 39 Making Places: shaping the future of Stroud District Making Places: a spatial vision for the Stroud District 3.1 The Local Plan is founded on an over-arching vision for the District as a whole, which is a cornerstone of the development strategy, and is set out in Chapter 2 . 3.2 Derived from this, Chapter 3 sets out a spatial vision which consists of a series of eight place-making ‘mini visions’ for distinct parts of the District. Using facts and figures gathered about all the District’s parishes, together with outcomes from public consultation, the spatial vision aims to focus the over-arching goals of the main vision and the strategic objectives in a way that responds more specifically to local priorities, issues and needs. 3.3 Whilst some places in the District have a need for development or are suited to strategic levels of growth; others are not. The spatial vision identifies areas that are likely to see significant changes; and areas that will not. It pictures what the various levels of change or growth could mean for the District’s diverse communities, settlements and landscapes. It sets out the envisaged and desired effects that the development strategy should have on particular parts of the district, including information about the proposed strategic growth areas, the kind of development that could happen at each place and how this is intended to help achieve the overall vision for the District’s future. 3.4 The Plan’s spatial vision for the District (and the eight ‘mini visions’ that feed into it) is illustrated in the Vision Diagram 1.0 (opposite). Over the following pages, the eight ‘mini visions’ for the eight parish cluster areas are set out in detail. Stroud District Local Plan 40 Making Places: shaping the future of Stroud District © Crown copyright and database rights The Gloucester Fringe : ! Vision Diagram 1.0 : 2015 Ordnance Survey 100019682 Growing a sustainable Spatial vision for the Stroud District up to 2031 community at Hunts Grove Cot swold Cluster: and preserving Gloucester’s Protecting and enhancing all rural hinterland. the things that will make the Locations for strategic housing A FOCUS FOR THE DISTIRICT’S and mixed-use growth STRATEGIC GROWTH Cotswolds a thriving and inclusive place to live, as well as a great place to visit Employment areas and The Severn Vale: locations for employment- Maintaining a distinctive rural related growth way of life and strengthening the resilience of the area’s Existing areas of strategic communities, built heritage growth, due to be completed and natural environment during the plan period i) Hunts Grove, Hardwicke ii) Brockworth iii) Littlecombe, Dursley Stonehouse Cluster: Economic growth and well- Local service centres: a focal connected, thriving point for retail, leisure, cultural communities and community facilities, A FOCUS FOR THE DISTRICT’S commerce and employment STRATEGIC GROWTH Locations for new local centres ,*(- Strategic town centre conservation and regeneration at the District’s principal towns: Stroud and Dursley Canal corridor conservation and regeneration Canal conservation and restoration Conserving and enhancing ! the Cotswolds AONB -*+%0 The Stroud Valleys: Conserving wildlife and Regeneration, creativity and natural estuarine habitats cultural blossoming in the green valleys A FOCUS FOR THE DISTIRICT’S STRATEGIC GROWTH SETTLEMENT HIERARCHY: Accessible local service Berkeley Cluster: Cam & Dursley : centre (first tier) Boosting vitality by making Growth and prosperity: the most of our natural Wotton Cluster: revitalising the towns of Local service centre resources, leisure and Improving access to jobs, Dursley and Cam to make an (second tier) tourism services and facilities in the accessible, attractive focus A FOCUS FOR THE DISTRICT’S for rural communities in the Accessible settlement STRATEGIC GROWTH south of the District, to boost local sustainability and south. with limited facilities community vitality A FOCUS FOR THE DISTIRICT’S (third tier) STRATEGIC GROWTH Stroud District Local Plan 41 Making Places: shaping the future of … Vision to 2031: regeneration, creativity and The Stroud Valleys cultural blossoming in the green valleys A STRATEGIC GROWTH AREA "*(//',,( This vision is meant to be an aspirational The Stroud valleys will continue to be an "**/'(/ glimpse of the future: something important employment focus for the District, as 3. 5 According to the 2011 census, 43% of the District’s population is that we can all work well as seeing some of its residential concentrated within the parishes of the Stroud valleys – some 49,000 towards and a goal that will help to communities grow. people, including the towns of Stroud (population 13,000+) and guide future policy Nailsworth (5,500+). Stroud is the District’s principal town and it has a and strategy Stroud town will go from strength to strength as reputation for its artistic and ‘green’-thinking community. There are a the beating heart of a flourishing artistic and large num ber of individual traders and relatively few chain stores on the high street, but as cultural scene. It will act as both focal point and the District’s principal commercial centre it underperforms and has little draw for residents gateway for surrounding communities and in the south of the District. The recession has affected high street vitality and it faces fierce visitors, with good links to the wider rural area. competition from Cheltenham, Gloucester, Cirencester, Bristol and Swindon. As the principal commercial centre for the 3. 6 This is the most populous part of the District, yet it retains a distinctive rural character. The District, the town centre will capitalise on its majority of this area falls within the Cotswold AONB, with the exception of the valley attractive built heritage, distinctive landscape bottoms, which is where industry was traditionally focussed and where today much of the setting and unique selling points (such as the transport infrastructure is squeezed in. The core “Urban Area” relates to the parishes of acclaimed farmers’ market) to enhance its retail Stroud, Cainscross (the most densely populated parish in the District) and Rodborough, offer and tourist appeal. with the settlements of Thrupp, Brimscombe, North Woodchester, South Woodchester, With its high quality and niche retail and leisure, Nailsworth and Stonehouse having strong functional links to that core. Nailsworth town will play a supporting role: providing for its own resident community, but also drawing from a wider local catchment and 3. 7 Key issues and top priorities: attracting visitors from outside the District. Public consultation and our evidence base have shown the following points to be high The regeneration of the industrial valley bottoms priorities for residents of the Stroud Valleys parishes: and the restoration of the Cotswold Canals will Providing for job opportunities across the District provide a new lease of life for the valleys’ rich architectural heritage: a home for thriving Conserving and enhancing Stroud District’s countryside and biodiversity businesses, creative industries and green Achieving a better transport system to help reduce CO 2 emissions technologies, as well as for people. This will be Maintaining and improving the sustainability of our villages an environment that boosts tourism, conserves, Protecting and enhancing our historic environment enhances and connects habitats along its valued Minimising waste generation and increasing recycling river corridors and provides an exciting and Meeting the needs of an increasingly elderly population tranquil amenity for the District’s residents. Ensuring the Cotswold Canals restoration plays a positive role in the District’s future Vision 1.1 : vision for the Stroud Valleys Stroud District Local Plan 42 Making Places: shaping the future of the Stroud Valleys Settlement hierarchy and key growth ",(+," ,*,!0 %(($%#$ and development opportunities: Routes north to Gloucester and Cheltenham Parishes: The parishes of the Stroud Stroud Valleys vision Cainscross area Brimscombe & Thrupp Conserving and Rodborough enhancing the Nailsworth Cotswolds AONB Minchinhampton Chalford J13 Whiteshill & Ruscombe Strategic growth areas Randwick Woodchester Employment areas West to M5 H Horsley (outside of town Junction 13 Towns: centres) and A38 “Accessible Local Service Stroud town centre Centre”: conservation and Stroud regeneration Canal corridor “Local Service Centre”: conservation and *#&+(& Nailsworth regeneration Major villages and “Gateway Stroud” / “Stroud Waterfront” suburbs: Dudbridge - Cheapside : East to “Local Service Centres”: Railway station (main Broad location for Cirencester, Minchinhampton line) strategic housing and Swindon and employment growth over M4 (London) Safeguarded “Settlements with limited the plan period #'"#'"&),(' location for new facilities”: railway station Whiteshill/Ruscombe Brimscombe H Hospital #%+/(*," Chalford Brimscombe & Thrupp : Manor Village Broad location for N. Woodchester Stroud District strategic housing and Amberley