I wrote before about young Podsmead resident Joseph, who was raising money for the National Deaf Association by running the mini London Marathon.

Joseph completed this on Sunday 21st April and has raised an astonishing £1203 for the NDA!

Many congratulations to him and his family!

Here are some issues I’ve reported in the last couple of days. The street sign has now been uncovered and I will get a photo soon.
The grass was done at my urging, and the verges and street sign are to be done.

If you spot any problems in our area, do let me know:

Putting up a poster for the election can help me win by showing people I have strong local support.

If you would like a window poster for the election please let me know and I will be delighted to drop one round:

These are just a few of the many issues I report on a weekly basis. As well as casework of this type, there is also much work for constituents behind the scenes, which cannot be publicised due to confidentiality.

It’s clear that Podsmead residents value having a hard-working local councillor who keeps in touch all year round, not just at election time.

This dangerous patch of pavement in Shakespeare Avenue has now been fixed after I contacted the council.

It doesn’t look like the neatest job in the world so we will have to keep an eye on it.

There was recently a patch in Keats Avenue that had to be redone by the contractor, due to a poor first job.

I will continue to press the county council to do more to fix Podsmead’s roads and pavements.

The bridge running over the old railway line behind Blackbridge and The Crypt School has suffered some damage to the brickwork, and some graffiti.

I’ve reported this to Gloucestershire County Council, who own the asset and are responsible for its upkeep.

I’m hopeful that, once fixed, we can get the graffiti removed and care for this area more.

I’ve already had positive responses from partners like The Crypt School and Blackbridge Charitable Community Benefit Society, and will be arranging some community action events here.

This area in one far corner of the ward has been unloved and we could do some more to make it attractive for both people and wildlife, such as planting some more vegetation to attract animals and insects.

If you see any more damage to brickwork or graffiti in our area please let me know:

I reported the broken street sign at Barron Way, and it was fixed very quickly at my urging.

If you see any more damaged or broken street signs in our area please let me know:

I reported this pothole on Byron Avenue to Highways, and it has now been filled.

It’s not far from one I got filled recently. Is another one of our road surfaces falling to bits?

The Conservatives at Shire Hall need to invest far more in our roads and pavements.

Sadly, at a recent city council meeting, a Liberal Democrat motion calling for more urgency in repairs, and more investment in Gloucester’s roads, was amended by the Conservatives to try to give their colleagues at Shire Hall a pat on the back.

If you know of any more potholes in our area please let me know:

I met recently with several residents of Dreadnaught Drive, Earls Park.

They highlighted to me again the poor state of the roads and pavements, which I know only too well from delivering and walking round the estate.

Dreadnaught Drive lacks a proper top surface for the road, and the pavements are very uneven. There are also no streetlights, so there are a number of safety issues here.

I’ve corresponded with the MD of Matthew Homes and he informs me that he is expecting a detailed programme of works from their contractor, with dates as to when things will be done.

This should be finalised this week and will be shared with all residents of Earls Park.

It’s important that there are good road surfaces in all parts of the estate, and especially here since there will soon be a pedestrian and cycle walkway through from Millstone Way to Newark Road.

I will continue to press Matthew Homes and Highways to finish all roads and missing streetlights in the estate as soon as possible, so including French Burr Place, Millstone Way, Emery Avenue etc.

Last year I campaigned for a bus shelter to be installed at the bus stop on Bristol Road, by the Old Log Pond (Costa, Gregg’s etc) which is part of Podsmead. This would enable people waiting for the bus into the city to shelter from the wind and rain.

I was told by the council that this was a viable proposal and that although there was no budget from the developer contributions at the site, hopefully they could install one and pay for it out of the regular county council budget for works like this.

A shelter was ordered and due to be installed in March this year, but due to an error by the contractor it has been delayed.

A new, correct, shelter has been ordered and I am told that it will be installed as soon as possible, and definitely within the new financial year. I would hope it will be a lot sooner than that, ideally within the next couple of months.

I will continue to press the council on this issue.

I am working hard for all parts of Podsmead, all year round.