In October 2021, Stonehouse Town Council carried out a community consultation to establish what the people of Stonehouse would like to see on the former Ship Inn site as part of the next phase of Cotswold Canals Connected’s work to restore the Stroudwater Navigation.

The canal-side piece of land, commonly known as the Ship Inn site, has lain idle since the nearby pub of the same name was demolished to widen the A419 in the 1990s. The National Heritage Lottery Fund has allocated £8.9 million towards completion of the next stage of the Stroudwater Canal restoration project. This work will connect this waterway with the national network and make Stonehouse a canal town again.

The Ship Inn Site is currently held in Stroud District Council’s Housing Revenue Account and earmarked for affordable housing. Planning permission has yet to be sought.

The survey asked two questions:

Would you like to see Council-built housing on the former Ship Inn site?

Would you like to see community facilities on the former Ship Inn site?

We received a total of six hundred and sixty responses, with five hundred and ninety eight people from all over the GL10 Stonehouse area responding, 9% of all people over working age in Stonehouse. Thank you to all who took the time to respond.  The overwhelming majority, 91%, did not want to see council-built housing on the site; 95% wanted to see community facilities. A small minority wanted both.

Many residents gave reasons for their responses explaining that they value the canal and the Ship Inn site and see the site helping to realise the benefits of the canal regeneration project for Stonehouse’s residents, businesses and environment. Suggestions for the site included a café, car parking, a shop, information centre, pub, garden and boat moorings.

Summary analysis of future of Ship Inn survey October 2021

Detailed analysis of future of Ship Inn survey October 2021

Stonehouse Town Council has circulated these results to the three Stonehouse Ward Councillors, all District Councillors, Stroud District Council’s Chief Executive and Strategic Directors, the Cotswold Canals Trust and all Cotswold Canals Connected partners. They are clearly relevant to Stroud District Council’s Canals Strategy and house building programme. We have asked for a response to the consultation results and extended an invitation to meet with the Town Council’s Canal Rejuvenation Working Group to engage further on this important issue for our town.