The Council was scheduled to consider a range of important matters, including recommendations from its Housing and Strategy and Resources Committees. Key discussions were expected to focus on housing funding opportunities, the budget strategy, and the proposed community asset transfer of a historic local building. Additionally, the Council was scheduled to review updates to its Constitution and make appointments to various committees and roles.

Housing Funding and Acquisition

The Council was scheduled to consider recommendations from the Housing Committee regarding the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) Round 4. This opportunity was expected to provide additional housing for those fleeing conflict and in need of temporary accommodation. The report indicated a bid for £2.614 million in grant funding to secure 16 properties, with a request for an additional capital budget of £3.9 million to deliver the scheme.

Further housing-related discussions were scheduled concerning the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3 Additional Solar Supplementary Funding. This report was to outline an opportunity for additional grant funding to increase the number of homes delivered through the Wave 3 project and improve their energy efficiency to EPC C standards. The Council was asked to support a bid for an additional £1.546 million in grant funding, with Stroud District Council's proportion being £549,500, to deliver an additional 65 properties with solar PV and battery installations.

An update on the acquisition of housing capital budget was also scheduled. The report proposed an increase to the budget to enable the council to build on its acquisitions programme and maximise opportunities to acquire S106 units and additionality homes. An additional £10 million was requested for the 2026/27 financial year, bringing the total property acquisitions budget to £26.798 million.

Budget Strategy and Financial Planning

The Strategy and Resources Committee was scheduled to present its Budget Strategy and Draft Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) for the period 2026/27 to 2030/31. The report was intended to set out the framework for creating the draft budget and inform members about known changes in the MTFP, as well as areas of uncertainty. The MTFP highlighted a projected budget gap increasing to £5.150 million by the end of the period, necessitating the identification of significant savings.

Community Asset Transfer of The Old Town Hall

A proposal from Stroud Valleys Artspace (SVA) and Stroudwater Textile Trust (STT) for the community asset transfer of The Old Town Hall, Stroud, was scheduled for consideration. The proposal aimed to transfer the building to SVA for a nominal sum to develop a 'Centre for Textile Arts'. The report indicated that officers supported the proposal, highlighting the organisations' experience and a five-year financial forecast with modest income projections and realistic expenditure. A capital budget of £70,000 was requested to fund the installation of an electric heating system to take the building off gas central heating, to be funded from the Council Plan Earmarked Reserve.

Constitutional Updates and Appointments

The Council was scheduled to consider proposed amendments to its Constitution, as recommended by the Monitoring Officer. These updates were expected to include revisions to Section 1 (Articles of the Constitution), Section 3 (Council Procedure Rules), Section 4 (Scheme of Officer Delegation), and Section 8 (Planning Code of Conduct). These changes were largely driven by legislative requirements, including the Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026, and to reflect changes in staffing structures and previous Council decisions.

Furthermore, the Council was scheduled to make appointments to key roles. This included appointing two further Independent Persons, as required by the Localism Act 2011, to assist with decisions on code of conduct allegations. The Council was also scheduled to appoint a Town and Parish Council Representative to the Standards Sub-Committee. Finally, updates to committee memberships and political balance were to be presented, reflecting changes following recent by-elections and nominations from political groups, in accordance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

Public and Member Questions

The agenda also included provisions for public questions, submitted in advance, and member questions, allowing councillors to raise matters of concern with the Council's leadership.