Gloucestershire county council have released details of the diversion route that will be in place for the planned resurfacing of the A38 southern connector and junction with cole avenue, more commonly known as the Quedgeley bypass.

Heading from Gloucester into Quedgeley the diversion will take you along the A4173 (Stroud Rd) into stroud then along the A419 past Stonehouse and then back up the A38 as shown in the image above.

This is the official diversion however it’s worth noting there are possible quicker alternatives.

Diversions follow A roads in favour of motorways as this ensures all road users have a usable route around the closure, vehicles such as mopeds/tractors cannot use the M5 for exaple.

If you are able to, travelling between J12 & J11A on the M5 would make this diversion much quicker as it cuts out travelling via Stroud/Painswick.

There are also B roads which could potentially be faster however these roads are smaller and could easily become congested with increased traffic volumes potentially making them slower. It would be worth sticking to the Motorway/A roads where possible as these will often be the fastest routes.

Information about dates and planned phases of the resurfacing works are available here.

The Causeway and Millers Dyke are next on the list for network upgrades by CityFibre.

The Causeway and top of Millers Dyke will mostly be complete by the end of June with the parts being done in July/August.

The improvements to our network infrastructure while welcome may involve some inconvinience to residents with pavements being temporarily closed.

If you have any questions or concerns during these works please get in touch and I will work with the crews to resolve any issues as they arise.

The A38 southern connector commonly known as the Quedgeley bypass is set to be resurfaced between June 29th and July 25th.

The works will be completed overnight between 7pm-7am.

The Bristol Road/Cole Avenue Junction will be closed between Thursday 8 July and Friday 23 July (excluding weekends) and Saturday 24 July and Sunday 25 July.

The A38 Southern Connector closed in sections between Tuesday 29 June and Friday 23 July (excluding weekends) and Saturday 24 July and Sunday 25 July.

The A38 Southern Connector sections are planned as follows:

• Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 June – North Bound Carriageway: Section 1, road will be closed from Waterwells roundabout to Cole Avenue junction.
• Thursday 1 July to Friday 9 July – South Bound Carriageway: Section 1, road will be closed from Cole Avenue junction to Waterwells roundabout.
• Thursday 8 July to Sunday 25 July – North Bound Carriageway: Section 2, road will be closed from north of Kingsway junction to Cole Avenue junction.
• Monday 12 July to Sunday 25 July – South Bound Carriageway: Section 2, road will be closed from Cole Avenue junction to north of Kingsway junction.

I have asked Highways for details on the diversions that will be in place and will update when I have more news.

UPDATE

Details of the diversion route is now available here.

Unfortunately in the recent city council elections, we didn’t quite make it over the line to beat the Tories in Quedgeley Severn Vale.

It was humbling to see how many of you gave your support to myself and David Bebbington.

Between us, we gained a total of 1,175 votes and fell short of the second seat by just 28 votes.

The detailed election results can be found on the city council website here.

However, just because we didn’t win this time it doesn’t mean we’re going away. Our focus remains on improving Quedgeley and helping residents wherever we can.

We both live in Quedgeley and will never stop fighting for the best interests of our local area.

If you have any questions or concerns we are still here to provide help and support, get in touch and we’ll do whatever we can to help.

A broken dog waste bin on the path near Dunlin close and Moorhen court has been replaced after my request to have it fixed.

The door had fallen off the dog bin and the bottom was heavily rusted.

The new replacement bin can be used for general waste as well as dog waste to improve waste collection in the area.

If you are aware of any other issues you would like me to sort out please do get in touch.

The canal towpath will be closed between Sellars bridge (Pilot) and Rea bridge (Elmore Ln) from 5th April to 2nd July. The closure is taking place for essential repairs and resurfacing works.

From now until 2nd July the car park at Rea bridge will be in use by the contractors though some limited public spaces may still be available.

More info can be found on the canal and rivers trust website here.

Lib Dems proposed 0% rise to help residents after the 12-month pandemic but the Tories voted to put it up

A bid by the Liberal Democrats to freeze council tax this year in Gloucester has been rejected by the ruling Conservative council.

Lib Dem councillors proposed a one-off 0% rise to council tax bills in April in recognition of the huge financial strain being placed on families due to the pandemic.

Freezing council tax in 2021/22 would cost nearly £200,000 and would be funded from a Government grant and maintaining city council reserves.
The proposal was rejected by the Conservatives who instead will increase its share of the the council tax by 2.4%.

Liam Harries said: “Local residents have been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As we emerge from the health, social and financial impact of the virus and rebuild Gloucester’s shattered economy, we believe the council should recognise that many people are struggling by freezing council tax.

“It is disappointing the Conservatives rejected our sensible and fully funded proposal.”

If you have a Post Office Card Account (POca) for your state pension, benefit or tax credit payments, an important change is coming in November 2021.

A POca is a special type of account you can only get from the Post Office for automated government payments. It is different from other Post Office accounts which will still be in existence.

From November the POca accounts will be closed and you will need to use a different means to have your money paid in.

You will still be able to get your payments but you will need to use a different account to withdraw your money.

The DWP will be writing to all affected in the coming months, but if you are worried and want to learn more now, you can find advice here.

And this guide from the Post Office gives advice on switching to alternative accounts.

The important thing is not to worry – there is plenty of time to act. But if you need help for any reason, I am always happy to assist. Please contact me for help.

You might also have neighbours, friends or family who can assist you if you are having difficulty with anything.