I had a walkabout of the memorial ground this week, having been contacted by members of Widden Old Boys and Old Cryptians.

There is an issue currently with dog walkers leaving poo bags in the hedges round the ground.

The ground is private land, but there is a public right of way through the ground, from the stile at Laburnum Road, past the pitches and through the ash path to Stroud Road.

I met with Rob Panou of Old Cryptians and we discussed what we could do about this problem.

I had initially thought there might be an unused bin on Blackbridge field but that is not the case, as Cllr Caroline Courtney had already got it moved.

The council are not usually keen to add more bins to the total number, as we have 1100 bins in the city which all have to be emptied regularly. Hopefully though as Old Cryptians have said they could contribute financially to the costs of a new bin, this might sway the council.

I will report back on progress soon.

I often get asked where we are with the reopening of the Club at Tuffley Park.

Everyone in the community was disappointed when this venue closed, and I have been adamant as the local city councillor for Podsmead that we must get it reopened as soon as possible, with tenants and activities that are community-based.

City council cabinet of which I’m a member unanimously approved One Church as the new tenant in July, and we are excited for their plans for the building.

City council officers are currently finalising the terms of the lease, and the repairs to the roof and internal fittings that have become necessary while the building was empty.

Whilst we want to reopen as quickly as possible, it is absolutely vital we get these things right to avoid any more costly problems down the line.

I will update residents as soon as I know more, and crucially when we have an opening date.

After contact from residents I’ve again asked the council to remove the old bit of carpet and the dog mess from the alleyway through from Milton Avenue green space, to Empire Way.

Unfortunately someone has damaged the information board by the park, so I’ve made the parks manager, Podsmead Big Local chair and the Friends of Milton Avenue aware.

Other things I’ve asked for are for the drains to be cleared and the sign for the green space area to be cleaned.

Finally, I’m approving a funding request for improvements to the steps at the other end of the green space.

As always any issues in our area, let me know: https://sebastianfield.mycouncillor.org.uk/how-to-contact-me/

There will be a welcome back barbecue for young rugby players, boys and girls, in years 7-9, at Old Cryptians, at the Memorial Ground off Tuffley Avenue, on Tuesday 13th September at 7pm.

It’s a great opportunity to find out more about playing rugby at Old Cryptians.

You can email Robert.Panou@gmail.com for more information.

July was another busy month with work on the council for Podsmead and Gloucester.

Amongst my work this month as cabinet member I:

📅 Attended the first cabinet meeting of the new Lib Dem administration – approved an ambitious business plan for the Guildhall and the new tenant for The Club at Tuffley Park amongst other reports

🙋‍♂️ 🙋‍♀️ Attended full council and answered questions within my portfolio

🖥️ Had meetings online and in person to learn more about developments in the environment and climate change portfolio 💼

🌎 Moved forward with work on our climate change agenda

🍃 🚛 Saw Hako the weedripper machine in action

♻️ Visited the Eastern Avenue depot

🌳 Visited Robinswood Hill Country Park and heard about Gloucester Nature Park plans

In Podsmead I:

🚗 ⚠️ Reported for clear up the burnt out car

🌳 Had a walkabout with the city council tree officer

👮 Had a meeting with the PCSO

🪧 Met residents in Earls Park and made myself available for a follow up

🧍‍♂️ 🧍‍♀️ Helped residents with casework

🏠 Popped into the hub

🥕 Arranged another donation from Tesco for the Poets Pantry

🐕 Reported overflowing dog waste bins for emptying

📞 📧 Held Blackbridge and their contractors to account on their planning conditions

🍃 Requested that Podsmead be cleared of weeds soon (it is being done within days)

As always if I can help with a local issue or something within the environment department do let me know:

How to contact me

The city council have recently purchased a new machine, Hako, at a cost of £75K, but neutral to budget.

Its mechanical ripping method is helping to get on top of the weeds in the city, which have grown extra-fast this year due to the heavy rain and warm weather we’ve been experiencing.

Hako clears the weeds very throughly and prevents their regrowth more effectively next time round, as it rips the plant from the root.

It also helps us reduce our use of chemical sprays to kill the weeds, so saving us money and helping us reach our biodiversity and climate commitments.

The only real downside is that it is a small machine and has to be emptied frequently at the depot in Eastern Avenue.

As part of my budget proposals for next year’s budget I will be aiming to purchase a second machine so that we can divide the city into north and south and speed up the weed removal process even more.

Last month marked five years since I was first elected to the city council for Podsmead, in a by-election.

That vote was a close-run thing, as I only won by 3.

I’ve increased my majority in each subsequent election.

It’s a pleasure to serve Podsmead and I really enjoy helping people with problems, and making a difference for our area.

There are a lot of people who support me by working with me on projects, and helping to deliver leaflets. My family and most of all my wife are hugely supportive to me (some might say long-suffering!)

I won’t please everyone in my ward, but I promise to keep working hard and doing my best, as I always have done.

If I can help with a problem or question, please get in touch:

How to contact me

During Love Parks Week I had a walkabout with our parks and open spaces manager, looking at some of our wonderful parks and open spaces. We discussed many aspects of the council’s management of its open spaces, and the challenges we face.

We toured:

Milton Avenue – casework here reported to the council

Tuffley Park – looking at the trees, 🌳 wildflower spaces, 🌸 waste bins and the trajectory for the new path (nice to see the Section 106 officer and path contractors on site scoping the path)

Gloucester Park – our newest 🟩 green flag park – the Covid memorial and the recent additions to the park

Barnwood Arboretum – 🟩 a wonderful nature reserve and another green flag park

Saintbridge Pond – 🟩 with its extensive bird 🦆 and insect 🐜 life

Robinswood Hill park – 🟩 our final walk and lunch in the cafe ☕️

Many of our parks rely on Friends groups and volunteers to carry out all that we need to get done.

The council simply doesn’t have the resources anymore to do everything that we get asked to do, so my thanks to all who help out.

I’d like to thank Theresa Fisher and Tesco Quedgeley for another kind donation of food items to the Poets Pantry.

The Pantry is a great local resource, helping residents in Podsmead with a low-cost food club every week, and food parcels in emergencies. They give out both tinned and dried food and fresh items.

They work with local businesses to distribute surplus food or food that is nearing its date but still good.

They are always on the lookout for donations as their stock is in demand.

If you would like to donate food or money to the Pantry, do let me know and I can put you in touch.

It was a pleasure to attend a residents’ meeting with the residents of Earls Park, at The Avenue on Bristol Road. There was an excellent turnout of some 35-40 residents joining me, the PCSO for Podsmead Suzanne Sexton and the new city MP Alex McIntyre.

The questions were constructive and respectful and a good range of issues was discussed. They ranged from ASB, adoption of the parks and roads in the estate, streetlights and the future works.

The panel tried to help each query as it related to their job, and residents were encouraged to keep in touch with their representatives and the police.

My thanks to the residents for an excellent evening, to all those who organised the event and to The Avenue for hosting.

Photo shows Alex McIntyre MP, Podsmead Councillor Sebastian Field, and PCSO Suzanne Sexton.