29 June 2026
Initial Call for Sites closed
The first submission period ran from 1 June until 5pm on 29 June and focused on land supported by its owner.
What Happens After Stroud’s 2026 Call for Sites?
Stroud District Council formally began work on its new Local Plan on 29 June 2026. The Call for Sites is one part of the early evidence-gathering programme. It identifies possible land; it does not select allocations.
As at 9 September 2026, the Council is not inviting further site submissions or comments on specific sites. Landowners should monitor official announcements for the timing and scope of any future consultation.
9 August 2026
Public Call for Sites closed
The further consultation closed at 11pm. Sites can now be checked against the developing evidence base and policy considerations.
Next phase
Assessment and wider engagement
Further engagement will be announced as the Local Plan progresses. Check the Council’s published notices before assuming that sites or comments can be submitted.
One District, Several Planning Geographies
Why Location Within Stroud District Changes the Site Case
Stroud District cannot be treated as a single, uniform land market. The valleys around Stroud and Nailsworth have steep topography, distinctive settlements and complex access relationships. Stonehouse and Cam/Dursley have different transport, employment and growth roles. The Severn Vale around Berkeley, Sharpness and Frampton-on-Severn raises flood, drainage, landscape and infrastructure questions of another kind.
To the east and south, the Cotswolds National Landscape and its setting can make landscape sensitivity and visual containment central to the assessment. Elsewhere, former industrial sites, canal-side land and established employment areas may offer regeneration opportunities but require contamination, access, heritage and viability evidence.
A good SALA case therefore begins with the role and function of the nearest settlement. It then explains how the parcel’s constraints, proposed use and scale fit that place—not merely that the district needs additional development land.
Building a Strong SALA Record
Six Evidence Themes for Land in Stroud District
The Council’s assessment needs enough information to distinguish the parcel from alternatives. The work should remain proportionate to the Local Plan stage while still addressing the issues most likely to determine the outcome.
Settlement Role and Function
Identify the nearest settlement and explain its housing, employment, service and transport role. Use that context to justify the proposed use and scale. Read our settlement boundaries guide.
Cotswolds Landscape and Topography
Review landscape character, slopes, ridgelines, views, settlement form and the setting of the National Landscape. A concept should work with landform and existing vegetation rather than treating landscape as a later design exercise.
Flood Risk and Drainage
Check river, tidal and surface-water information, especially in the Severn Vale and along watercourses. Identify a realistic drainage strategy and keep vulnerable development away from areas that cannot be justified. See our flood-risk guide.
Movement and Accessibility
Consider walking and cycling links, bus provision, rail access at Stonehouse or Cam and Dursley, the M5/A38 relationship and the capacity of rural lanes. Strategic proximity does not replace a safe local access solution.
Heritage, Ecology and Place
Map conservation areas, listed buildings, archaeology, habitats, woodland, hedgerows and green corridors. The evidence should explain how development could avoid harm and reinforce local landscape and settlement character.
Availability, Viability and Timing
Confirm owner support, access rights, abnormal costs and the likely delivery period. Brownfield or infrastructure-heavy sites may need an early viability narrative so the Council understands whether the proposed use is achievable.
The Call Was Broader Than Housing
Land Uses That Require Their Own Stroud Planning Narrative
The 2026 exercise expressly invited several types of land. Each should be supported by evidence relevant to its function rather than a recycled residential submission.
Employment and Regeneration
Explain the sector, floorspace, access, labour market and relationship to existing employment areas. Former industrial or canal-side land may also require heritage, contamination and remediation evidence.
Infrastructure Land
State the infrastructure need, catchment, safeguarding requirements, delivery body and relationship to the emerging spatial strategy. Infrastructure should be linked to an identified growth or community requirement.
Gypsy and Traveller Provision
Address availability, access, services, amenity, flood risk and a realistic route to delivery. The case should respond to the needs evidence and the particular requirements of the proposed use.
Mixed and Community Uses
Where several uses are proposed, show how they work together spatially and financially. Community facilities, open space and employment should be part of the delivery framework rather than labels added to a housing concept.
A Capacity Test Shaped by Place
Why the Gross Site Area Is Not the Stroud Developable Area
Stroud sites often contain constraints that need to be designed into the capacity exercise from the beginning. A credible concept distinguishes the gross red line from the land that can realistically accommodate buildings, streets and supporting infrastructure.
Valley Slopes and Settlement Form
Steep land may require extensive cut and fill, retaining structures or visually prominent roads. Capacity should respond to contours, established building lines and views along and across the valleys.
Flood Storage and SuDS
River corridors, surface-water routes and drainage features can remove substantial land from development. Space for attenuation, exceedance routes and maintenance access should be identified before a housing yield is stated.
Landscape Setting and Visual Containment
Within or near the Cotswolds National Landscape, the site may need lower densities, retained open land, structural planting or a reduced height profile. The concept should demonstrate how the settlement edge would read in long views.
Ecology and Green Infrastructure
Ancient woodland, hedgerows, watercourses, species habitat and nature-recovery opportunities may require buffers and connected corridors. These areas can strengthen the scheme but must be removed from the assumed net developable area.
Access and Rural Highway Geometry
Narrow lanes, gradients, visibility and bridge constraints can limit scale even where a strategic road is nearby. The layout should reserve land for a safe junction, pedestrian links and any off-site improvements that are realistically deliverable.
Infrastructure and Community Capacity
Schools, healthcare, utilities, public transport and local facilities influence whether growth is sustainable. Larger sites should identify infrastructure land and phasing rather than assuming every acre can be used for housing.
From Submission to Evidence File
A Stroud-Specific Post-Submission Work Programme
Value My Land can help convert a basic site submission into a clear SALA and Local Plan promotion record.
1
Secure the submission record
Retain the form, site plan, acknowledgement and evidence of owner support. Check that the promoted use and site area are recorded accurately.
2
Place the site within the settlement hierarchy
Describe the nearest town or village, its services, travel patterns and development limits. Explain why this parcel is a reasonable location for the proposed use.
3
Prepare a constraints-led concept
Map landscape, flood, access, ecology and heritage constraints before estimating capacity. This helps avoid promoting an unrealistic developable area.
4
Compare the site with SALA evidence
Review the Council’s existing SALA categories, methodology and nearby sites. Identify whether comparable parcels have been treated consistently and what new evidence is needed.
5
Monitor future consultation announcements
Keep the evidence concise and current so it can support the next consultation, a response to an assessment or later representations on the emerging strategy.
Official Stroud District Sources to Monitor
The new plan and its evidence base will be updated over time. Check the Council’s own pages for the latest consultation position and published assessment material.
Land Assessment Across Stroud District
Our review is tailored to the district’s different valleys, towns, market settlements and rural areas.
BerkeleyCamDursleyFrampton-on-SevernKings StanleyMinchinhamptonNailsworthPainswickSharpnessStonehouseStroudUleyWotton-under-Edge
A site close to Stroud, Stonehouse or Cam and Dursley may have very different planning considerations from land in the Severn Vale or within the setting of the Cotswolds National Landscape. We assess the parcel within its actual settlement and environmental context.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Stroud District Call for Sites still open?
No. The initial period ran from 1 to 29 June 2026 and the public Call for Sites closed at 11pm on 9 August 2026. As at 9 September 2026, the Council is not inviting further sites or comments on specific sites.
What is a SALA?
A Strategic Assessment of Land Availability is an evidence-base exercise used to consider land for housing and other uses. It assesses matters such as suitability, availability and achievability, but it does not allocate the land or grant planning permission.
Why does settlement role matter in Stroud District?
The district contains towns, market towns, valley communities and many villages with very different services and transport relationships. A site case should explain the function of the nearest settlement and why the proposed scale and use fit that role.
Which uses did the 2026 Call for Sites cover?
The 2026 exercise invited land for housing, employment, infrastructure, Gypsy and Traveller provision and other appropriate uses. The evidence and delivery case should be tailored to the use actually proposed.
How important are landscape and flood constraints?
They can be decisive. Parts of the district fall within or affect the Cotswolds National Landscape, while the Severn Vale and river corridors create different flood and drainage considerations. A site should be assessed at parcel level rather than by postcode alone.
Can unsubmitted land still be assessed?
Yes. We can review unsubmitted land and help prepare it for a future opportunity. This is a private assessment, not a submission to the Council; further submissions are not currently invited.
Does inclusion in the SALA mean the site will be allocated?
No. The Council must use the SALA alongside sustainability appraisal, infrastructure, environmental and policy evidence when deciding its spatial strategy. A favourable availability assessment is not an allocation or planning permission.
Prepare Your Stroud Site for the SALA and Local Plan Evidence Process
Send us the site location, approximate area and any material submitted in 2026. We can identify the settlement, landscape, flood, access and delivery issues that should shape the next promotion step.
Request a Stroud District Site Review