District elections on 6 May 2027 are now expected to go ahead. Scrutiny meets on 30 September, a taxi policy consultation opens, and Cabinet papers are out.

Stratford-on-Avon District Council now expects its elections on 6 May 2027 to go ahead. That is the most important line in the papers published for the week ahead. The rest of the week is quieter: one committee meeting on Wednesday, and a public consultation that opens on Monday.

Here is what is happening, when, and how to take part. All the meetings are in the Council Chamber at Elizabeth House, Church Street, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Monday 28 September: taxi licensing consultation opens

The council is rewriting its Taxi Licensing Policy, and wants views on the draft. The consultation runs for 12 weeks, from 28 September to 21 December 2026, according to the portfolio holder’s decision published on 21 September.

It is open to licence holders, businesses, residents and anyone else with an interest. The decision says responses will shape the final policy, which will then go through the council’s committees to be adopted.

The draft itself was not published with the decision. We will link to it once the consultation page is live.

Wednesday 30 September, 10am: Overview and Scrutiny Committee

This committee checks decisions before Cabinet takes them. Its agenda includes:

  • an update on devolution and local government reorganisation
  • a look ahead at three items on the 5 October Cabinet agenda: the Long Marston Airfield new community, community asset transfers, and community infrastructure for new settlements
  • the minutes of the Climate Change Panel from 1 September

The committee can make representations to Cabinet, or ask for a decision to be deferred while it investigates further.

How to take part: members of the public can put questions to the chair, but notice must be given under the committee’s procedure rule 13. Contact Democratic Services at committeemanagers@stratford-dc.gov.uk well before the meeting.

Coming next: Cabinet, Monday 5 October, 10am

The Cabinet agenda was published this week. It is the heaviest meeting of the autumn so far.

The election news. The reorganisation update says the district elections “originally scheduled” for 6 May 2027 are “envisaged” to go ahead, because the government paused its plans to abolish the council. The council says it is “actively planning on this basis”. It also says it has not yet had “categoric clarification” that the vote will happen. We covered the pause itself in our report on 12 September.

The other decisions, each with its own report:

Item What Cabinet is asked to do
Stratford Gateway Agree demolition of Windsor Street multi-storey car park and three other buildings, using a £1.5m reserve (our report)
Stratford BID wardens Give the BID £17,145 to extend its street warden service until 31 March 2027
Heart of England Forest Allocate £27,938 from the Climate Change Reserve: £15,388 for community orchards and £12,550 for community ponds
Environmental information requests Recommend a charge of £38.62 an hour for requests that take more than 3.5 hours
Long Marston Airfield Approve a governance structure to oversee delivery of the new community
Local Development Scheme Recommend a revised Local Plan timetable, to take effect on 12 October
Community asset transfer Approve guidance for handing council assets to community groups

On the wardens: the BID’s two full-time wardens work five days a week. The report says they have recovered £21,856 of stolen goods since July 2025. The extra money is for evening and weekend cover, including in council car parks.

On the information charge: it goes to full Council to decide, not Cabinet. Full Council meets on 12 October at 4pm.

The same afternoon, 5 October at 2pm, the Housing Investment Panel meets to consider Section 106 grant funding for a housing scheme at Phase 2D, Upper Lighthorne.

What it means for you

  • If you drive a taxi or use one, the consultation opening on Monday is your chance to shape the rules until 21 December.
  • If you want to question the council, give notice before Wednesday’s scrutiny meeting rather than turning up on the day.
  • If you park at Windsor Street, read our Gateway report before 5 October.
  • If you plan to stand or vote in May 2027, the council now expects the election to happen, but it is still waiting for the government to confirm it.

For planning decisions, see our planning news page.