United Downs Deep Geothermal Power is the United Kingdom's first geothermal electricity project. It is situated near Redruth in Cornwall , England. It is owned and operated by Geothermal Engineering (GEL), a private UK company. The drilling site is on the United Downs industrial estate, chosen for its geology, existing grid connection, proximity to access roads and limited impact on local communities. Energy is extracted by cycling water through a naturally hot reservoir and using the heated water to drive a turbine to produce electricity and for direct heating. The company plans to begin delivering electricity (2 MWe) and heat (<10 MWth) in 2024. A lithium resource was discovered in the well.
82-496: Ecotricity is a British energy company based in Stroud , Gloucestershire, England, specialising in selling green energy to consumers that it primarily generates from its 87.2 megawatt wind power portfolio. It is built on the principle of heavily reinvesting its profit in building more of its own green energy generation. The company was founded in 1995 by Dale Vince , who remains in control; in 2022 he announced an intention to sell
164-519: A radiogenic granite batholith that exhibited enhanced permeability due to its intersection with the Porthtowan fault zone . The Cornubian granite batholith stretches from Dartmoor to the Isles of Scilly and contains a high concentration of heat-producing isotopes such as thorium (Th), uranium (U) and potassium (K). This natural heat production means that the heat flow at United Downs
246-520: A balance between the needs of EV drivers and PHEV drivers led to a £3 connection fee, waived for Ecotricity customers, and 17p per KWh. In 2018 the Ecotricity EV tariff on its motorway network was 30p/KWh for non-Ecotricity customers and half this for customers. Access was via a mobile phone app. To help with using this, some of the charging points were fitted with short-range, restricted, WiFi to enable connection in poor mobile signal areas. By
328-492: A broad range of the community via public visits to the GEL site, external presentations to interested groups, exhibitions at public events, printed flyers, online resources and through the wider media. An inclusive and interactive education programme and careers events have also been run by GEL to give an insight into Cornwall's new and growing geothermal power and heat industry to students throughout Cornwall. GEL also established
410-485: A diverse range of unsigned bands who lack a contract with a record label. With a number of outdoor stages, and the majority of the venues in town taking part, over 400 performers can be seen free of charge over the course of the weekend. The town also hosts an annual series of lectures and exhibitions on contemporary textiles and textile culture called SELECT, run by Stroud International Textiles, an event that exhibits international textiles. The Stroudwater Textile Trust
492-574: A few miles to the north (in Cheltenham and Gloucester ) and the Royal Agricultural University west of Cirencester is 12 miles (19 km) to the east. There are multiple bus routes around Stroud, and to nearby towns as well as Gloucester, many of which are operated by Stagecoach West . United Downs Deep Geothermal Power The Camborne School of Mines led Cornish Hot Dry Rocks (HDR) project, undertaken in
574-465: A further 100 MW to its existing 70 MW capacity, The following month, the company decided not to attempt new planning applications in England because of the political climate, instead concentrating on Scotland. It went on to spin its small turbine manufacturer out into a subsidiary called Britwind, which, in collaboration with a local company, offered free electricity to crofters in return for installing
656-424: A high power IEC 62196 32amp 3-phase socket. There were plans for charging points at RoadChef sites also. In October 2012, the company started to add 50 kW CHAdeMO fast charging stations, allowing compatible cars to recharge within 30 minutes. In April 2014 it was announced that it would be adding support for Combined Charging System connectors, and by September Ecotricity had over 120 chargers, branded as
738-567: A large and diverse number of creative artists and musicians. The town was one of the birthplaces of the organic food movement and was home to Britain's first fully organic café. The Biodynamic Agricultural Association is based in the town. For many years Stroud has hosted a fringe festival on the second weekend in September. A new committee took over in early 2015 and now holds the festival on August Bank Holiday each year. The festival has been expanded to cover art and literature, as well as
820-538: A legal challenge in the High Court. There is still a small textile industry (the green baize cloth used to cover snooker tables and the cloth covering championship tennis balls is made here), but today the town functions primarily as a centre for light engineering and small-scale manufacturing, and a provider of services for the surrounding villages. Stroud is a Fairtrade Town . The Stroud and Swindon Building Society had its headquarters here until it merged with
902-591: A national average of 7.9%), with plans for a further increase to 60% by 2012. In the past, a substantial proportion of the electricity (25.9% in 2007) sold by Ecotricity to customers came from nuclear sources. This proportion had decreased to 16% by 2010, and 2.6% by 2011. Ecotricity also provided a 100% renewable energy tariff called New Energy Plus, in which renewable energy was bought in from other suppliers to top up renewable energy produced by Ecotricity. In Conisholme in Lincolnshire on 8 January 2009 two of
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#1732780771904984-584: A range of cuts to health services in and around Stroud, with thousands of people taking part in street demonstrations. Stroud Maternity Hospital was saved in September 2006. The Uplands Post Office branch in Stroud was one of 26 in the county to shut as part of a nationwide programme to cut losses. Following local opposition, the Post Office agreed to talks with civic chiefs to look at how it could reopen. The town council agreed to provide £10,000 of funding for
1066-531: A rough and hurried way, and covered up again. A short account of it appeared in the public press at the time. The excavation at a site at Ebley Road in Stonehouse has revealed evidence of some of the earliest Roman activity known in the Stroud Valleys. A large rectangular enclosure dating back to the 1st century AD was found and more than a dozen human skeletons were unearthed at the end of 2010. At
1148-420: A share of £14.3 million to demonstrate that lithium could be produced from geothermal brines. As of 2021, project costs were approximately £30 million. In January 2021, GEL agreed to sell 3 MW of power for ten years to Ecotricity . In March 2023, the company received another £15 million in private funding. The geothermal system employed to generate power at United Downs targeted
1230-572: A small local weaver, now home to a leisure centre with an indoor and an outdoor swimming pool , and the Museum in the Park. Housed in a Grade II listed 17th-century wool merchant's house, the museum collection tells the story of the Stroud District's history. It has over 4,000 objects on display, including dinosaur bones, historical paintings and one of the world’s first lawnmowers. In addition to
1312-410: A small turbine, keeping any excess power generated. In March 2015, Ecotricity announced it had refinanced its existing wind farms with the aim of using the extra capital to expand production to 100 megawatts by November 2016. In 2016, Ecotricity had approximately a 25% shareholding stake in competitor Good Energy , which has been sustained to 2020. In the 2017/2018 financial year the company had
1394-540: A three-way consortium with Archway Sixth Form and South Gloucestershire and Stroud College . Other secondary schools in the locality include Maidenhill School in Stonehouse, and Thomas Keble School in Eastcombe and the private Wycliffe College in Stonehouse Tertiary education in the town is provided by South Gloucestershire and Stroud College . The University of Gloucestershire has campuses
1476-613: A turnover of £176 million, with a gross profit of £55 million and a loss on ordinary activities before tax of £4.9 million, but after charges and revaluation of investments had a "Total comprehensive (loss) for the year" of £9.5 million. It gave £416,000 to charity. By 2019, the company had 200,000 customers. A corporate restructure in 2020 created Green Britain Group Limited; the company's directors are Dale Vince and Kate Vince, and its subsidiaries include Ecotricity Limited and Forest Green Rovers Football Club Limited. In January 2021
1558-761: A zero-emissions airline based in Edinburgh . Stroud, Gloucestershire Stroud is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire , England. It is the main town in Stroud District . The town's population was 13,500 in 2021. Sited below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills , at the meeting point of the Five Valleys , the town is noted for its steep streets. The Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty surrounds
1640-589: Is 19 miles (31 km) to the west. Not part of the town itself, the civil parishes of Rodborough and Cainscross form part of Stroud's urban area. Stroud acts as a commercial centre for surrounding villages and market towns including Amberley , Bisley , Bussage , Chalford , Dursley , Eastcombe , Eastington , King's Stanley , Leonard Stanley , Minchinhampton , Nailsworth , Oakridge , Painswick , Randwick , Selsley , Sheepscombe , Slad , Stonehouse , Brimscombe & Thrupp , Whiteshill and Woodchester . In March 2021 The Sunday Times named Stroud
1722-661: Is approximately double the UK average at 120 mWm , and geothermal gradient is around 33-35 °C/km, almost 10 °C/km hotter than large parts of the UK. Cornwall is also divided by a number of faults and fracture zones with a preferred orientation of NNW-SSE or ENE-WSW, believed to have been reactivated by post-orogenic extension after the Variscan Orogeny , with the ENE-striking fractures hosting magmatic mineral lodes and ‘elvans’ that were mined throughout
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#17327807719041804-689: Is surrounded by the greenbelt of the Cotswolds to the north, south and east. Stroud has a significant artistic community that dates back to the early 20th century. Jasper Conran called Stroud "the Covent Garden of the Cotswolds"; the Daily Telegraph has referred to it as "the artistic equivalent of bookish Hay-on-Wye"; while the London Evening Standard likened the town to "Notting Hill with wellies". The town has
1886-515: Is the sponsor of the Ecotricity Greenbird , a land yacht that set a new world land speed record for wind-powered vehicles on 26 March 2009 on the dry Lake Ivanpah . Ecotricity has built an electric sports car called Nemesis that was built as a demonstration of what electric cars are capable of: an endurance trip from Land's End to John o' Groats is planned recharging only from electricity produced by wind power. In September 2012
1968-417: The 2001 UK census , Stroud civil parish had a total population of 12,690. For every 100 females, there were 96.4 males. Ethnically, the population is predominantly white (98.2%). 20.6% of the population were under the age of 16 and 8.3% were aged 75 and over; the mean age of the people of the urban area was 39.5. 92.6% of residents described their health as "fair" or better, similar to the average of 92.8% for
2050-526: The Chiemgauer , in being backed on a one-for-one basis by the national currency, having a charge for redemption which is donated to local charities, and including a system of demurrage to encourage rapid circulation. A farmers' market , launched by Jasper Conran and Isabella Blow on 3 July 1999, takes place every Saturday at the Cornhill market. It was nominated for the national Farmers' Market of
2132-634: The Coventry Building Society on 1 September 2010. The building is now the headquarters of the renewable energy provider Ecotricity . Damien Hirst owns the 'Science' facility in Stroud which produces his art. In September 2009, the Stroud Pound Co-operative launched the Stroud Pound as an attempt to reinforce the local economy and encourage more local production. The currency's design follows that of
2214-579: The Gloucester – Swindon Golden Valley Line ) was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel . Though there is much evidence of early historic settlement and transport, Stroud parish was originally part of Bisley , and only began to emerge as a distinct unit in the 13th century, taking its name from the marshy ground at the confluence of the Slad Brook and the River Frome called "La Strode", and
2296-666: The Green Party . On 10 February 2015 Ecotricity announced that it would be donating £250,000 to the electoral fighting fund of the UK Labour Party . This decision alienated some of its customers, in particular supporters of the Green Party as they felt some Labour policies are at odds with Ecotricity's avowed green ethical stance. Ecotricity had already donated £120,000 to Labour in November 2014, including £20,000 to
2378-609: The Public Health Act 1848 , but he is mainly remembered as one of the chief architects of the Reform Act 1867 . This Act, also known as the Second Reform Act, gave the vote to every urban male householder, not just those of considerable means. This increased the electorate by 1.5 million voters. Lord John Russell is remembered in the town in the names of two streets, John Street and Russell Street, as well as
2460-608: The RSPB . In May 2014, Ecotricity rescued Evance, a manufacturer of small (5 kW) wind turbines, from administration, saving the company's 29 jobs. Branded "Brit Wind" in January 2017 they announced one million pounds worth of sales to Japan as well as sales to France, Norway, Denmark, the US and Belgium. The company has donated to several political parties that support subsidies for renewable energy. In November 2013 it donated £20,000 to
2542-600: The medieval buildings at Beverston Castle ; and the outstanding Tudor houses at Newark Park and Owlpen Manor . Woodchester Mansion is a masterpiece of the Gothic Revival by local architect Benjamin Bucknall. From 1837 to 1841, Stroud's MP was Lord John Russell of the Whig party, who later became prime minister . Russell was an important politician: he was responsible for passing Acts of Parliament such as
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2624-524: The 1980s at Rosemanowes Quarry , was designed to test the theory of inducing a fracture network within granite to create a geothermal reservoir. Geothermal Engineering was founded in 2008 to specialise in the development of geothermal resources. Project funding was secured over the following five years from the European Regional Development Fund, Cornwall Council and private investors. GEL drilled two wells into
2706-438: The 19th and 20th centuries. NNW-SSE striking ' crosscourse ' faults, which are often long and show evidence of significant displacement, are aligned parallel to the regional maximum horizontal stress and therefore are believed to be the most ‘open’ structures, providing enhanced permeability. The United Downs wells encountered three main lithologies: The wells also intersected open NW-SE-striking fracture corridors related to
2788-630: The 19th century, and so needed transport links. It first had a canal network in the form of the Stroudwater Navigation and the Thames & Severn Canal , both of which survived until the early 20th century. Restoration of these canals as a leisure facility by a partnership of Stroud District Council and the Cotswold Canals Trust is well under way with a multimillion-pound Lottery grant. Stroud railway station (on
2870-556: The Electric Highway. In May 2014, Ecotricity brought an interim high-court injunction against electric car manufacturer Tesla over its vehicle charging network; this was resolved in an out of court settlement . In 2014, the Ecotricity vehicle charging network had sporadic software issues to do with the addition of a new connector which left some chargers not working or not connecting to specific cars. In December 2014,
2952-593: The Kent town of Strood , which has the same etymology. Stroud is known for its involvement in the Industrial Revolution . It was a cloth town: woollen mills were powered by the small rivers which flow through the five valleys, and supplied from Cotswold sheep which grazed on the hills above. Particularly noteworthy was the production of military uniforms in the colour Stroudwater Scarlet. Stroud became known for its production of broadcloth , which
3034-584: The Lord John public house . In 1835 the local press referred to Lord John Russell's opportunism in choosing Stroud as his new constituency as 'trying his hand in the vales of Gotham', a reference to a 1798 poem mocking Stroud residents for opening a church organ "before it could speak". "Gotham" was a popular local town nickname and "house" name at Eastcombe Manor school in the 1940s and 1950s. The long barrow at Randwick measures about 56 by 26 metres (184 by 85 ft), and stands 4 metres (13 ft) high at
3116-501: The Porthtowan fault zone between November 2018 and June 2019. The geothermal production well reached a depth of 5,275 m (17,306 ft) and the fluid injection well 2,393 m (7,851 ft). Between August 2020 and July 2021, the wells underwent a series of injection tests to analyse the hydrology within the fractured geothermal reservoir. In addition, in July 2021, full reservoir testing (simultaneous production and injection)
3198-724: The Victorian landmark Hill Paul building to be demolished. After thwarting demolition, local activists formed a company and sold enough shares at £500 each to take an option on the building, which they passed on to a local developer. The building has now been restored and converted into apartments (see photo on the right). The full records of the Hill Paul building campaign are with the Gloucestershire Archivist at D9242/Accession 11679/3. The Save Stroud Hospitals Taskforce has been campaigning since spring 2006 against
3280-704: The Year in 2001 and won it in 2007 and 2013. It also won the Cotswold Life magazine award for the best farmers' market in Gloucestershire in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010. The market featured in an episode of BBC TV's The Hairy Bikers ' Food Tour of Britain in September 2009, and won the Best Food Market award at the BBC Food & Farming Awards 2010. It is certified by FARMA . In addition to
3362-415: The best place to live in the UK, citing the town's abundance of green spaces, independent spirit, and high quality of schools. Stroud was named La Strode in a document of 1221, though most early records use the spelling Stroud . The Old English name Strōd refers to a "marshy land overgrown with brushwood". Although the name is now pronounced to rhyme with "proud", its original pronunciation survives in
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3444-518: The blades of one of the company's turbines were damaged. In February 2013 the go-ahead was given for Ecotricity to build its largest windfarm, a 66 megawatt, 22 turbine farm at Heckington Fen in Lincolnshire . In February 2013, Ecotricity revealed a prototype 6 kW vertical axis wind turbine called the "urbine". Ecotricity also produces solar energy, with its first "sun park" opening in 2011. In April 2016 it bought SunEdison's UK business supplying domestic solar panels. From May 2010 it became
3526-512: The car broke the UK electric land speed record reaching an average speed of 151 miles per hour (243 km/h). In July 2011, Ecotricity launched a free vehicle charging network sited around the country at 14 of the Welcome Break Motorway service areas , linking London in the south with Exeter in the west and Edinburgh in the north. The charging points were initially equipped with both a UK standard 13amp domestic socket and
3608-405: The charging network. Ecotricity has investigated supplying 100 houses with an internet-connected grid energy storage system that will take the homes off the grid at peak times. Ecotricity launched a mobile virtual network called Ecotalk in 2018; plans had been discussed by Vince in 2013. Money from customer's bills is used to buy land for nature conservation, in part through a partnership with
3690-497: The college site, which was approved in October 2016. The new proposal included "[...] new and revised traffic data and assessment, new traffic plans to keep vehicle movements away from Sparsholt village and a commitment to protect local road infrastructure.". Also, "[Ecotricity] consulted representatives of the nearby parish councils and incorporated their requests, wherever possible into the routing plans and operational controls." By
3772-515: The company agreed to buy 3 Megawatt-hours yearly from United Downs Deep Geothermal Power , the UK first geothermal plant. In summer 2021, Ecotricity made a bid to take over Good Energy , where it already owned 27% of the shares, which was rejected. In April 2022, Dale Vince stated an intention to sell the company. It was reported that the company planned to build a further 2,500MW of renewable energy generation, which would require investment of some £2 billion. In May 2023, Asif Rehmanwala
3854-510: The company still does today, using the name Nexgen. Ecotricity started generation with a 40-metre turbine in 1996, which at the time was the largest in the country. In 2007, Vince ran an advertisement on the back page of The Guardian newspaper inviting Richard Branson to his house to discuss solutions to climate change over a carbon-free breakfast. The ad ran the day after Branson appeared on TV with American former vice president Al Gore , who had managed to persuade Branson that climate change
3936-411: The company with peak-shaving . In May 2018 it was announced that Ecotricity would start building a Virtual power plant to more efficiently use and manage the electricity usage. In October 2020, Vince announced the company would make lab grown diamonds using carbon dioxide captured from the air, water and power from their own green supply. In July 2023, Dale Vince announced the launch of Ecojet ,
4018-485: The company, which has around 200,000 domestic and business customers. Ecotricity's initiatives included the creation of one of Britain's first electric vehicle charging networks, which was sold to Gridserve in 2021. Ecotricity was started by Dale Vince in 1995 as Renewable Energy Company Limited, with a single wind turbine he had used to power an old army truck in which he lived on a hill near Stroud. Vince later went on to build commercial wind-monitoring equipment, which
4100-412: The end of 2007." In July 2009, Ecotricity started legal proceedings against French power company EDF Energy for the alleged misuse of the green Union Flag logo, used to promote EDF's Team Green Britain campaign. Ecotricity had previously used a green Union flag in its own advertising and claimed confused customers had contacted it to ask why Ecotricity was co-operating with EDF. In January 2012, it
4182-539: The farmers' market there is a smaller market held (Fri & Sat) in The Shambles, an area adjacent to the steep High Street. John Wesley preached from a butcher's block in The Shambles on 26 June 1742. The Old Town Hall is one of the oldest existing buildings in Stroud: originally referred to as the market house, it was built in 1596 and is still in occasional use today. "There was a school at Stroud in 1576 but
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#17327807719044264-652: The first UK company to supply eco-friendly gas, produced in the Netherlands by anaerobic digestion of sugar beet waste and in 2015 it was planning to have its own digesters fed by locally sourced grass from marginal land of grade 3 or poorer by 2017. The first of these would have produced 78.8 GWh a year from 75,000t of grass and forage rye silage. In August 2015, Ecotricity announced plans to build an anaerobic digester at Sparsholt College in Hampshire that would take grasscuttings from local farms and supply
4346-528: The founding of Marling School in 1889 and Stroud High School which was founded in 1904 as the Girls' Endowed School. They continued to be grammar schools long after the comprehensive school became the norm in secondary education , and their future was the subject of long-running controversy. The two schools previously shared a mixed sixth form , called the Downfield Sixth Form, which worked in
4428-411: The grounds of the house at Brown's Hill, one mile north of Stroud, suggesting the existence of a Roman villa. Remains of another Roman villa have been found in the parish of Painswick, on a farm called Highfield, about 1 ⁄ 2 mile (800 metres) northwest of the town. Walls were found, crossing one another at right angles; also many flue tiles, and some Roman coins. It was opened some years ago in
4510-567: The local group in Stroud which was trying (unsuccessfully) to unseat Neil Carmichael , an opponent of wind farms in Gloucestershire. In the six months before the 2015 general election Ecotricity donated a total of £380,000 to Labour. The day after the election of 7 May 2015 the company donated £50,000 to the Liberal Democrats , including £20,000 to the group in the Kingston upon Thames constituency which had been lost by Ed Davey ,
4592-478: The main displays there is a modern extension which includes a purpose-built art gallery showing a varied programme of exhibitions. Behind this is a contemporary walled garden. The Redlers industrial estate is the site of the original Dudbridge Mills, beside the River Frome. From the mid-18th century onwards it housed the three mills of Daniel Chance: one corn, one gig and a dyehouse with eight drying racks. It
4674-578: The major 'crosscourse' of the Porthtowan Fault Zone. GEL's community engagement programme has been extremely important for the successful continuation of the United Downs geothermal project. From an early stage it was established that time, effort and a personal approach were crucial to finding the extent of the community and reaching a diverse range of its members. As a result, accurate, up-to-date information has been communicated to
4756-517: The massive Roman invasion on Minchinhampton Common . Survivors eventually fled to the north. Some earthworks, known as 'the Bulwarks', and the Longstone of Minchinhampton are evidence of these ancient fortifications. Woodchester Roman Villa is one of many Roman villas discovered in Gloucestershire and was occupied between the early 2nd and late 4th centuries AD. There is now nothing visible of
4838-438: The network covered 90% of the UK's motorway service stations, with sites also at Land's End and John o' Groats . By December 2015 it had 6,500 members using it once a week or more, and the network, which had hitherto been free to use, began to require payment. From 11 July 2016, a 20-minute fast-charge cost £5, later changed to £6 for 30 minutes, but charges remained free for customers of Ecotricity. Following feedback from users,
4920-422: The north-east end. Excavations in 1883 found a round barrow opening to the north-east, from which there was access to a simple square chamber of one cell containing disarticulated human remains. Traces of the chamber can still be seen, although it is not accessible. Additional burials were found adjacent to the barrow on the south-west side. The Iron Age tribesmen of Gloucestershire made their final stand against
5002-437: The pro-renewables Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change . Ecotricity donated £20,000 to Keir Starmer 's 2020 Labour Party leadership election campaign. At the end of 2017 Ecotricity was granted planning permission to build one of the UK's first grid scale battery storage projects on its Alveston site. The 10 megawatt project is intended to share the grid connection with the three new windmills there, providing
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#17327807719045084-572: The resulting six megawatts of gas to the grid with the overall aim of training students in the technology. This joined the first announced in Gloucestershire in April and was followed by a third three megawatt plant announced in August in Somerset . On 25 April 2016, planning permission for the site at Sparsholt College was refused. In July 2016, a new application was made to build the facility at
5166-709: The schoolmaster, who did not have a licence and failed to teach the catechism, was then dismissed..." There are six primary schools in the town: Schools in surrounding areas include Further schools include Amberley Parochial School, Nailsworth School and Woodchester School. There are three secondary schools in Stroud. Archway School is a County Council maintained comprehensive school offering an 11-to-18 education for children in Stroud, Rodborough and Cainscross. There are also two state-funded selective schools, Marling School and Stroud High School . These former grant-maintained and foundation schools became academies in 2011. Both schools can trace their history back to
5248-547: The service in 2008 and up to £25,000 for 2009. In November 2008 it was confirmed that Stroud has become only the second place in Britain to save one of its Post Offices. In September 2010 the BNP scrapped plans to move their national media centre to Stroud after protests by local residents. In February 2012 NHS managers agreed to halt plans for Stroud General Hospital to be run by a social enterprise after local residents mounted
5330-527: The start of 2019 the company had not built any biogas plants but still intended to do so. Ecotricity offers the Feed-in Tariff as a voluntary licensee under the name "Microtricity", offering payments to people who generate and export electricity from low-carbon sources such as solar panels. As of October 2024, Ecotricity does not offer a Smart Export Guarantee tariff to small low-carbon generators such as domestic solar panel systems. Ecotricity
5412-475: The start of 2019, Ecotricity had over 300 charging points. In early 2021, Ecotricity and GRIDSERVE announced a partnership which would see the network expanded and contactless payment facilities added. Funding for the programme came from Hitachi Capital (UK), also a shareholder in GRIDSERVE. In mid 2021, it was announced that GRIDSERVE had purchased the remaining stake from Ecotricity, taking full ownership of
5494-607: The town centre. Stroud High Street Action Group, with some rooftop protests and a high court judgement, demonstrated against this. The restored buildings are now a feature of the High Street. After a short occupation a compromise was reached in the demolition of buildings in Cornhill with many being saved, including one identified as a medieval house. This campaign led to the formation of the Stroud Preservation Trust which has been instrumental in saving many of
5576-456: The town of Stroud. The narrowest definition is the parish, which had a population of 13,259 in 2011 and only includes the town centre and inner suburban areas. The urban subdivision had a population of 32,670 and includes many suburbs often considered part of the town. The urban area, which includes Stonehouse that has a largely separate identity, and other surrounding villages had a population of 60,155. Despite its extensive urban area, Stroud
5658-546: The town's oldest buildings such as Withey's house, the Brunel Goods Shed and the Hill Paul building. In 1989 Stroud District Council tried to fell at midnight thirteen trees in Stratford Park near the road, which attracted national and international attention. Local Save The Trees campaigners had got in position first and prevented the felling, which was intended to allow road-widening. Campaigners occupied
5740-527: The town, and the Cotswold Way path passes by it to the west. It lies 10 miles (16 km) south of the city of Gloucester , 14 miles (23 km) south-southwest of Cheltenham , 13 miles (21 km) west-northwest of Cirencester and 26 miles (42 km) north-east of the city of Bristol . London is 91 miles (146 km) east-southeast of Stroud and the Welsh border at Whitebrook , Monmouthshire ,
5822-410: The trees for the next six weeks while, with the help of Friends of the Earth, introducing the County Surveyor to 'traffic calming' which he agreed to adopt instead of changing the road alignment. During the next five years County Surveyors' figures showed a fifty per cent decrease in accidents along this part of Stratford Road. The trees still survive. In 2000 Stroud District Council gave permission for
5904-755: The villa above ground and the site is occupied by a churchyard. The villa's most famous feature is the Orpheus mosaic, the second largest of its kind in Europe and one of the most intricate. It dates to c. 325 CE and was re-discovered by Gloucestershire-born antiquarian Samuel Lysons in 1793. It has been uncovered seven times since 1880, the last time in 1973, but there are no plans to reveal it again. It depicts Orpheus charming all forms of life with his lyre and has been praised for its accuracy and beauty. In 1979, several portions of Roman tessellated pavement, Roman tiles, coins, pottery, etc. were discovered in
5986-685: The wider district. The average household size was 2.4. Of those aged 16–74, 24.5% had no academic qualifications, lower than the national average of 28.9%. Of those aged 16–74, 2.6% were unemployed and 28.4% were economically inactive. At the 2011 census, 107,026 people were described as white British, plus 591 being from the Irish Republic. 2,752 were white other, 364 Caribbean, 129 African, 429 Asian and 300 other Asian, all from mixed multiple ethnic groups. Of these, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh accounted for 258 people. Chinese and Arab people accounted for 226 people. There are two definitions for
6068-553: Was acquired in 1794 by John Apperley, whose family used the site for wool- and cloth-making for the next 140 years. In 1801 an industrial accident killed a young worker. Stroud citizens have a history of protest going back to the Stroudwater Riots of 1825. In the late 1970s Stroud Campaign Against The Ringroad prevented Gloucestershire County Council's attempt to introduce new traffic plans. A few years later Stroud District Council tried to demolish 18th-century buildings in
6150-411: Was an issue. The ad included Vince's personal mobile phone number. Ecotricity was a winner in the 2007 Ashden Awards for sustainable energy. The awards congratulated Ecotricity for its environmental contribution, saying: "The company's turbines are delivering 46 GW·h/yr of renewable electricity and avoiding around 46,000 tonnes of CO 2 emissions a year. The installed capacity is expected to double by
6232-555: Was announced that Ecotricity has invested in the development of Searaser pump-to-shore wave energy machines, and in June said they were to be deployed in the autumn of that year. In October 2014, Ecotricity and marine consultants DNV GL were moving from laboratory trials to sea trials. In 2013, Ecotricity's electricity supply became 100% renewable, rather than a mix. In October 2014, it was announced that Ecotricity had partnered with Skanska to build and finance new turbines, which added
6314-621: Was appointed as the CEO of Ecotricity and the Green Britain Group . In December 2023 Ecotricity donated £1 million to the UK Labour Party. In October 2024, Ecotricity Group Limited took a controlling stake in regional airline Ecojet which was previously held by Dale Vince . Before August 2013, Ecotricity ran a mix of fuels. Ecotricity's proportion of renewable energy rose from 24.1% in 2007 to 51.1% in 2011 (compared with
6396-408: Was first recorded in 1221. The church was built by 1279, and it was assigned parochial rights by the rectors of Bisley in 1304, often cited as the date of Stroud's foundation. Historic buildings and places of interest in the area include the neolithic long barrows at Uley , Selsley Common and Nympsfield to the west; Roman era remains at Frocester , West Hill near Uley, and Woodchester ;
6478-472: Was founded in 1999 to link the past and present of textiles in the Five Valleys and to manage the opening of several mills in which historic textile machinery, including a working waterwheel, has been restored and is demonstrated. The Trust has produced a DVD, Rivers of Cloth , using archive film and interviews which was due to be released in early 2011 and a photographic survey of surviving woollen mills
6560-474: Was undertaken for a book, Wool and Water , published in 2012. The Subscription Rooms at the centre of the town centre provide a venue for a variety of entertainment. There is also a small theatre, the Cotswold Playhouse, which is home to the amateur Cotswold Players; it occasionally hosts visiting professional companies. On the fringes of the town are Stratford Park , originally the park of
6642-487: Was undertaken for seven days. During this process, the reservoir was destressed to prevent microseismic events occurring during long term operation. GEL adhered to a strict monitoring, management and mitigation procedure to ensure that any induced seismicity was understood by community members. In August 2020, the project's operations were further funded by the UK Getting Building Fund. GEL received
6724-491: Was widely known as "Stroud cloth" and traded around the world. The area became home to a sizable Huguenot community in the 17th century, fleeing from persecution in Catholic France, followed by a significant Jewish presence in the 19th century, linked to the tailoring and cloth industries. There were two synagogues by 1889, but these became disused by around 1908. Stroud was an industrial and trading location in
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