Gloucestershire deserves a return of civic pride

Councillor Hodgkinson calls for a root and branch review into why Gloucestershire’s roads have lost their civic pride.

At next week’s Full County Council meeting, Councillor Paul Hodgkinson (Bourton and Northleach) will call for a review on why the County Council’s highways inspection team has lost their sense of civic pride, and why signs are left broken, illegible and worn out for years at a time.

Highways inspections are meant to take place monthly on A roads, and at regular intervals on other classes of roads.  These inspections are meant to pick up potholes and other infrastructure issues, yet signs remain broken and road markings worn out for many months, even years before they are fixed – if ever. 

The motion highlights the fact that councillors and residents often need to chase repeatedly for these repairs to be made.  

Commenting on the motion, Cllr Hodgkinson, leader of Gloucestershire Liberal Democrats, said:

“Time and time again, residents call me to bemoan the appalling state of our county’s highways.   Yet, it’s not just potholes that frustrate the public, but broken or obscured signage and worn away road markings.  

“Highway inspections are supposed to identify and repair these issues, yet all too often they go unrepaired for many months, if not years, needing frequent chases from councillors.

“This is not only an issue for road safety, but drags down the area’s civic pride. This is why I’m calling for a root and branch review into why the Council’s highways inspection team is failing our residents.”

Council taking action after petition gains 165 signatures

Following the flooding shortly after Christmas, the majority of floodwater drained away however the path behind Shelduck Road remained waterlogged.

Our petition gained over 160 signatures asking the council to take action after initially refusing to sort the issue. The city council has since pumped some water away however the issue area is still flooded.

One avenue that was explored was if the spoil from the resurfacing works on Severnvale Drive could be recycled and used on this path to deal with the muddy spots however the spoil was not available for this purpose.

The council has now ordered a detailed topographic survey to help identify if the area can be drained naturally, while it’s not fixed yet it’s great to see a change in tune from the council.

Quedgeley Spotlight co-editor David Bebbington has added his thanks to those who signed the petition. “It’s great that so many people have shown their support, we will keep the pressure on the council to make sure we get a good solution to this problem.”

Mud makes park unusable

Concerns over mud making play equipment unusable at the druids oak play park.

The ground surface around the slide at Druids oak was badly damaged and has since been replaced by Quedgeley Town Council to remove the trip hazard.

This has created a new problem as the new surface has caused the park to be filthy and muddy when wet.

Spotlight co-editor David Bebbington suggested putting down bark may be a better solution. “Play parks are not cheap and it is a
shame the changes have made the park unusable when wet,” he said.

“It is filthy and dangerous as it is now slippery. Even when dry the play
equipment will be dirty until washed. “Let’s have a better solution such as bark that is natural and cleaner.”

Spotlight co-editor Liam Harries who is a member of Quedgeley Town Council has raised this with the council’s Recreations and Amenities committee and is asking what can be done to resolve the issue.

Help Save the Human Rights Act

British rights and freedoms are under threat. The Human Rights Act1 protects your rights to privacy and to a fair trial. It bans torture, slavery and forced labour. It ensures we all have freedom of religion and expression.

And it empowers every individual to challenge the government in court to uphold their rights.

It’s a fundamentally good and liberal piece of legislation that has protected the rights of us all.

But hard-right politicians like Nigel Farage2 and the Conservatives are trying to scrap the Human Rights Act.

The Conservatives have repeatedly threatened to repeal the Act – and now they’ve launched a “review”3 of it.

That’s why we’re launching a campaign to save the Human Rights Act.

In early March, we’re submitting our response to the review – when we do, we want to show how many people want to defend their human rights.

Will you help us save the Human Rights Act, by adding your name to our petition?

Add your name

1https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/human-rights/human-rights-act
2https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/nigel-farage-human-rights-act-unpatriotic-b1803567.html
3https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/law/buckland-unveils-human-rights-act-review/5106704.articleM

Updated – Severn Vale Drive road closure

Severn Vale Drive is due to be partially closed between Monday February 22nd and Tuesday March 16th.

The works will take place only on weekdays and between the hours of 9:30-15:30 to minimise impact to residents.

The works will be split into 4 phases to further minimise the impact of the works.

A letter should have been recieved by all those affected by the works, if you missed it or havent recieved it you can download it here.

Severn-Vale-Drive-Quedgeley-Resident-LetterDownload

UPDATE

I have had confirmation that the works are due to start at the School Lane end working towards Tesco and then back again.

Highways haven’t provided exact dates for each phase as progress will depend on a number of factors so cannot be accurately provided.

The works are still scheduled to take place between Monday February 22nd and Tuesday March 16th.

Covid Safety Measures in Place for May elections

Gloucester City Council, who run elections in the city, have issued the following statement:

‘On Thursday 6 May, Gloucester’s residents will go to the polls to have their say on who represents them for the next few years.

Residents are being asked to vote for who represents them at Gloucester City Council, Gloucestershire County Council and to select their Police and Crime Commissioner. 

There are a number of ways to take part in the election – voters can visit a polling station where Covid safety measures will be place, including staff wearing face coverings and sitting behind screens and social distancing measures inside and outside each polling station. 

Anyone voting in person is required to wear a face covering when inside the poling station, unless exempt for medical reasons and may bring their own pen if they wish. 

Alternatively people can vote by post or appoint someone they trust to vote on their behalf, which is known as a proxy vote.

Letters are being sent out to let voters in Gloucester know if they are registered to vote and the ways they can take part in the election.  

Anyone who isn’t yet registered has until April 19 to do so. The deadline to apply for postal votes is April 20 and for a proxy it is April 27.

However, if a voter tests positive for Covid 19 or is required to self-isolate after the deadline, they will be able to apply for an emergency proxy vote up until 5pm on polling day.

Jon McGinty, Managing Director at Gloucester City Council and Returning Officer, said: “The elections are very important – they’re an opportunity to make your voice heard and have a say on who represents you on issues that directly affect day-to-day life here in Gloucester. 

“However you choose to cast your vote in May, you can do so safely. We’re putting arrangements in place to help you stay safe at the polling station; you can expect many of the measures you’ve become used to in shops over recent months, such as hand sanitiser, screens and face masks. But you also have the option to apply to vote by post or by proxy but please don’t leave it too late to do so.”

For information visit the Gloucester City Council website or call 01452 396203.’

TASK GROUP FORMED TO HOLD POLLUTERS TO ACCOUNT

Liberal Democrats establish County Council Task Group to scrutinise polluters and hold water companies to account for polluting Gloucestershire’s rivers and endangering public safety.

Our county’s rivers are flooded with harmful pollutants, including raw sewage discharged from Gloucestershire’s water companies, Severn Trent, Thames Water and Wessex Water.  Back in 2019, these companies were found to have discharged into English Rivers for a combined 400,000 hours.

Last September, Gloucestershire Liberal Democrats brought a motion to the County Council, calling on it to take urgent action to address pollution in our county’s rivers.  This motion passed resoundingly, supported by councillors from all parties.  

Now, we’re turning up the heat on the county’s biggest polluters, forming a County Council task group that will:

  • Investigate the extent of pollution present in our rivers
  • Investigate the extent of the damage this pollution is having on the ecosystems within our rivers and the safety issue it poses.
  • Scrutinise the activities of water companies and other polluters, and to challenge them to change their behaviour.  
  • Explore the opportunity to create a designated bathing spot in some of Gloucestershire’s rivers to make them safe for the public to enjoy.  

Commenting on the next steps, Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, the Lib Dem spokesperson on the Climate Emergency, said:

“We are extremely fortunate to live in a county with such an incredible natural landscape and waterways, yet for decades water companies have been allowed to abuse our rivers to the point that they have destroyed natural habitats and are endangering public health.

“I am extremely pleased that we’re taking the next step and forming a task group to scrutinise their actions, to hold them to account for the dumping of sewage and to challenge them to change their behaviour.  

“This is an exciting opportunity to build back better from this challenging period, because Gloucestershire deserves better than filthy polluted rivers.”

David Bebbington joins the team

“THE TORIES HAVE PAST THEIR SELL BY DATE,
NEW LEADERSHIP IS NEEDED FOR OUR CITY”

David Bebbington has joined the team picking up the vacancy left by Anna Mozol.

As a local resident and family man, David is working hard to deliver what matters most to the Quedgeley community.

David works leading a team in the information systems field within the aviation industry. He is incredibly proud of how the community has pulled
together during these difficult times and hopes that this community spirit can continue past these dark times.

David wants to prioritise the community needs and improving the maintenance for the area of Quedgeley. At the Gloucester level, David wants to ensure that the tight public funds are spent wisely with an emphasis
on value for the people of Gloucester.

Liam Harries welcomed David to the team. “It’s great to have David on board, he’s a great asset and will make a brilliant city councillor,” he added.

Rapid covid testing

Lateral flow device testing is now available allowing you to get rapid test results for Covid19. These tests help to identify COVID in people who have no symptoms.

Testing is being offered mainly to those:

  • Who are critical workers and/or still have to leave to home for work
  • Still have to leave home for caring responsibilities
  • Who are residents of Gloucester city

The test, which must be taken twice a week, only takes a few minutes and results are known within 30 mins, which means anyone who does have the virus, can take action quickly to help protect others.

These tests are for people without symptoms of COVID-19. If you are displaying any of the following symptoms, DO NOT ATTEND THIS TEST CENTRE:

  • High temperature
  • New continuous cough
  • Loss or change to sense of smell or taste

If you are displaying symptoms of Covid 19 you should book a test through the Gov website here.

The rapid testing is being conducted from:

The Friendship Café @ Chequers,
Painswick Road,
Gloucester,
GL4 6PR

Book a rapid test