Column by the leader of Stroud District Council, Doina Cornell.

If anyone had asked me at the start of the year what my hopes and expectations for 2020 were, discovering the remains of a Roman villa and bath house in our district might not have been too high on my list.

But life is full of surprises and I am glad to see everyone concerned with the site in Cam working so hard together to try and achieve the best outcome. There has been great cross-party working from district councillors, Stroud District Council planners, Gloucestershire County Council archaeologists, Cam Parish Council, members of the public and not least the developer, Bovis Homes. More discussions will be needed to work out how best to preserve site but everyone has been very positive about finding a solution to preserve the site for future generations.

Of course Friday February 14 was Valentine’s Day and the final day of National Condom Week which our Youth Council has been championing.

They have created works of art which promote safe sex, after Stroud District Youth Council identified improving the health of young people in the district as one of its priorities. SYDC councillors have created two pieces of art using condoms which will be taken to local secondary schools to promote the scheme.

Next week is half term for most schools and we have pulled together a long list of activities which are either free-of-charge or modestly priced.

SDC-run Museum in the Park has an Endangered and Extinct exhibition, Recycled Creatures and Glorious Grasslands family drop-in workshops, and a trail where you can find out more about hedgehogs. The Pulse leisure centre in Dursley has a workshop with a musical theme, a retro sports activity day, and a Wipeout activity day, while Stratford Park Leisure Centre has a wide range of activities lined up too.