I guess stiff is far better than loose but it is too stiff.

Thoughts on what to check? Seems to have got stiffer since January.

Thanks of any thought or ideas on the matter.

 Gareth,
 
 Either the friction pad, cheeks of the board or the case has swollen.  Water ingress into the wood can easily cause this, especially if the board was fitted when the whole boat is dry, thus should be looser at that point, until the wood fibres swell in use.  The inside of the case is a place where this can easily happen, as maintenance of this is not easy.

Is this with the winder or dream machine?

The board in Winder FRP hulls are often tight.
 
Sometimes its the accumulation of sand/dust/detritus in the box that causes the problem. Giving the box a good clean out should help. Also a liberal squirt of silicone male help. Do this to the sides of the box rather than the board in case you capsize. 
 
Resist the temptation to sand the board or the box down until the very last resort. 

 We had a couple of issues
1. bit of weed up inside the box...
2. bit of slot gasket folded in... 
 
take the plate out and give it all a clean? 

Yes its on the winder

I'll tip her on her side tomorrow and take a look

Couldn't see anything from underneath.

Elastic on control lines too tight, control lines too short maybe?

i have come across that too - sometimes prolube/silicone lubricant on the sides of the box helps too - dont put it on the board!