Plans for canalside café take step forward
A canal-side café has moved a step closer for a town in the Five Valleys in Gloucestershire with conversations taking place to transfer land to the project lead.
Plans for a new canalside café in Stonehouse are a step closer as district chiefs have agreed to enter talks to lease the site of a former pub to the town council.
Stroud District Council agreed in 2022 to explore other uses for the former Ship Inn site which had originally been thought as a site for housing.
And now district chiefs have reviewed a business case for the site which includes timber-clad shipping containers to house a café, toilets.
Councillors voted last night (June 18) to agree head of terms for the transfer of a long term lease of the site and enter negotiations for the transfer or long term transfer of land at Wharfdale Way to Stonehouse Town Council at less than the site’s market value of £200,000.
Officers considered the proposed transfer of the site at less than market value can be supported as it aligns with their priorities in supporting stronger communities and improving Stroud’s waterways.
Councillor Martin Pearcy (G,Coaley and Uley), who seconded the proposal at the strategy and resources committee, said it was a “good example” of the council listening to the community.
“Here we are looking to transfer that site to community use which has got full support by many of the people in Stonehouse and the town council,” he said.
“It’s a great news story.”
Stonehouse ward councillor Carol Kambites, (G), who is also a town councillor, said it was a “brilliant” example of the community working together.
She explained plans for the site have been submitted and could take up to eight weeks to be approved.
“I have been to the site and seen people picking up stones to put them in the right place to provide for hardstanding and wheelbarrowing them around the site,” she said.
“I’ve seen people building picnic tables, I’ve seen people getting really hot on barbecue to sell burgers to raise money for the project.
“There is a real commitment there.”
Deputy council leader Catherine Braun (G, Wotton-under-Edge), who put forward the proposal, said a lot of work was put into thinking about what was right for the site.
She commended the “huge” amount of work that has gone into the business case for the project and thanked all those involved.
“There are huge benefits in line with the canal project, one of our flagship projects as a council, opening up this beautiful site to the canal making it easier for the people of Stonehouse and the local area to access the canal as well,” she said.
By Carmelo Garcia, local democracy reporter for Gloucestershire. carmelo.garcia@reachplc.com
*The Raikes Journal is the only independent news outlet in Gloucestershire approved to use the copy of the BBC local government reporting service. Why? Only independent, credible journalistically-led platforms that meet the BBC’s high standards win that permission.