Wisloe is recommended as an important site in Stroud District Council's draft Local Plan, which sets out the location of new developments for the period up to 2040. Government planning inspectors are thoroughly reviewing this draft local plan through what's known as an Examination in Public. This process has been taking place since March 2023 and follows extensive consultation into the draft plan.
Our project team is fully engaged in this process, providing detailed information and answering questions from inspectors and stakeholders.
Understanding how Wisloe can be delivered and the likely costs of this is a long-standing and important part of our work. We have always been confident that it can be delivered, and our masterplan and Design Code demonstrates this.
This is why we welcomed the opportunity to discuss this in detail with the inspector. This included discussion around a viability and deliverability statement, which confirms detailed financial information underpinning our commitment to deliver a sustainable, high quality community at Wisloe.
This work is best understood in the context of our ambitions for Wisloe, which is set out in the masterplan and Design Code for the site.
In addition to explaining our position that Wisloe is commercially viable and deliverable, the statement also explains that:
Subject to planning, Wisloe can be delivered by 2040.
We are committing to providing the M5 pedestrian bridge at a very early stage. This supports sustainable and low carbon travel for people who live and work locally.
Work is already underway to secure a development partner and our ambition is that this will happen in 2024.
The public examination into Stroud's Local Plan is expected to continue after the summer. The Wisloe project team continues to work with local partners to meet Stroud District Council's Local Plan ambitions.
Any proposal to develop a new community must be supported by the local authority and coordinated with other developments in the area. We take this responsibility seriously and are committed to working with the local community at every stage of this process, as we have done over recent years.
You can see the Viability and Deliverability Statement here (PDF) and we are available to answer any questions. Feel free to get in touch.