Stratford District Cabinet Meeting, 2 November: What’s on the Agenda

Stratford-on-Avon District Council’s Cabinet meets at 10am on Monday 2 November at Elizabeth House, Church Street, and the agenda includes the district’s housing shortage, a grant of up to £250,000 for a football club and a new push on rural youth work. You can sit in the public seats or watch live on the council’s YouTube channel. The deadline to register to speak has passed.

Stratford’s housing land shortfall

Councillors will hear that the district has 2.43 years’ supply of housing land against the five years the government requires, a gap of about 2,927 homes. They’ll be asked to endorse a revised policy statement for use in planning decisions, and to pass a review of Core Strategy policies to Full Council. Our story has the detail.

Southam United Football Club

The report recommends a grant of up to £250,000, with conditions, to finish the club’s clubhouse. Read what’s proposed.

Youth work in rural areas

The council wants permission to tender for a “Youth Catalyst” provider to help villages start or strengthen youth groups, at £41,000 a year for three years. The report says statutory youth provision across the district “has largely disappeared” over the past decade and that rural provision is inconsistent; Stratford itself has the Stratford Youth Collective. A provider would be appointed in February 2027.

Budgets and risks

• Revenue budget: a forecast £608,000 underspend, with public toilet cleaning £200,000 over. Our story.
• Capital budget: £14.0m for the year, of which about £1.9m had been spent by 30 September. The council holds £16.9m in section 106 developer money and £4.7m of Community Infrastructure Levy.
• Stratford play areas and leisure centre: section 106 money added to this year’s budget includes £106,838 for open space and play areas, among them Shottery Fields and Bridgetown Community Meadow, and £93,019 for built facilities works at Stratford Leisure Centre.
• Strategic risk register: the twice-yearly review of the biggest risks to the council. It lists financial sustainability first and records £3.75m earmarked so far for local government reorganisation, following the government’s plan for a new council from 2029.
• Treasury management: the mid-year review of the council’s investments and borrowing.

Going through without debate, unless someone asks, are the Housing Investment Panel’s minutes, which cover section 106 funding to turn 30 Orbit homes at Upper Lighthorne from affordable rent to social rent.

What the scrutiny committee said

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee looked at several of these reports on 28 October. Its chair said members were generally supportive of the steps being taken on housing land. Members also heard that local government reorganisation makes long-term financial planning impossible, even though a five-year plan still goes to Council each year.

We’ll report the decisions after the meeting. The next Cabinet is on Monday 7 December.

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Alex Harrington

Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.