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Come along to the Gloucester Park Police Point this Saturday between 4-5pm.

PCSO Stevens will on hand to discuss all things Crime Prevention .

If you plan to get fit this year, you may need to get yourself a dog to walk you!

There are lots of good areas for your dog to walk you in Podsmead, such as Tuffley Park and Scott Avenue. Your dog might even let you stop for coffee!

I have written to Matthew Homes to request that this bollard at Neven Place gets fixed.

Unfortunately this is the second time it’s been knocked over.

If you know of any other issues like this in our area please let me know.

Building a greener, fairer and better Gloucester is the commitment set out in the city council’s new Council Plan.

The plan which comes before the cabinet and council later this month outlines the priorities and promises for the city council over the next three years.

They include three main priorities: building greener, healthier, and more inclusive communities; making Gloucester a sustainable city of diverse culture and opportunity; and ensuring the council is both socially responsible and empowering.

The new vision is needed to succeed the previous Council Plan and Council Plan extension, which ran from 2017-2020 and 2020-2021 respectively.

It also sets out how the council will work with partners and residents to achieve the best outcomes for everyone in Gloucester.

The publication follows a six-week consultation which took place at the end of last year which saw residents feed into the plan.

The majority of respondents backed the council’s focus on tackling inequalities and also climate change and the drive to take into account the environmental implications of all its decisions.

The city council has pledged to become a net-zero emission local authority by 2030.

The following vaccination drop in sessions are available:-

Rosebank Surgery
Stroud Rd
Thursday 24 December 10am-1.30pm
Anyone over 18 in need of a booster (must be at least 3 months following the second dose).
Also anyone aged 16/17 (second doses can only be given 12 weeks after the first) or over 18s for first or second doses of Pfizer (second doses can only be given from 8 weeks after the first).
First or second doses for 12-15 year olds (must be accompanied by a parent, second doses must be at least 12 weeks after the first. Children must be 12 weeks clear of a positive COVID test to get a vaccine).

Rosebank Surgery
Stroud Rd
Monday 27 December 9am-2pm
Anyone over 18 in need of a booster (must be at least 3 months following the second dose).
Also anyone aged 16/17 (second doses can only be given 12 weeks after the first) or over 18s for first or second doses of Pfizer (second doses can only be given from 8 weeks after the first).
First or second doses for 12-15 year olds (must be accompanied by a parent, second doses must be at least 12 weeks after the first. Children must be 12 weeks clear of a positive COVID test to get a vaccine).

Rosebank Surgery
Stroud Rd
Tuesday 28 December 9am-2pm
Anyone over 18 in need of a booster (must be at least 3 months following the second dose).
Also anyone aged 16/17 (second doses can only be given 12 weeks after the first) or over 18s for first or second doses of Pfizer (second doses can only be given from 8 weeks after the first).
First or second doses for 12-15 year olds (must be accompanied by a parent, second doses must be at least 12 weeks after the first. Children must be 12 weeks clear of a positive COVID test to get a vaccine).

Rosebank Surgery
Stroud Rd
Wednesday 29 December 9am-5.30pm
Anyone over 18 in need of a booster (must be at least 3 months following the second dose).
Also anyone aged 16/17 (second doses can only be given 12 weeks after the first) or over 18s for first or second doses of Pfizer (second doses can only be given from 8 weeks after the first).
First or second doses for 12-15 year olds (must be accompanied by a parent, second doses must be at least 12 weeks after the first. Children must be 12 weeks clear of a positive COVID test to get a vaccine).

Rosebank Surgery
Stroud Rd
Thursday 30 December 9am-5.30pm
Anyone over 18 in need of a booster (must be at least 3 months following the second dose).
Also anyone aged 16/17 (second doses can only be given 12 weeks after the first) or over 18s for first or second doses of Pfizer (second doses can only be given from 8 weeks after the first).
First or second doses for 12-15 year olds (must be accompanied by a parent, second doses must be at least 12 weeks after the first. Children must be 12 weeks clear of a positive COVID test to get a vaccine).

Rosebank Surgery
Stroud Rd
Friday 31 December 10am-2pm
Anyone over 18 in need of a booster (must be at least 3 months following the second dose).
Also anyone aged 16/17 (second doses can only be given 12 weeks after the first) or over 18s for first or second doses of Pfizer (second doses can only be given from 8 weeks after the first).
First or second doses for 12-15 year olds (must be accompanied by a parent, second doses must be at least 12 weeks after the first. Children must be 12 weeks clear of a positive COVID test to get a vaccine).

People should not attend the drop-in service if:

• they have already made an appointment at a vaccination centre in the county
• they have symptoms of COVID-19 or have had a positive COVID-19 test within the last 4 weeks (people aged over 18) or 12 weeks (children under the age of 18)

The city council open spaces officer has been in touch with Matthew Homes and has arranged for a site inspection of the parks in January. This will then enable the adoption process to begin. This process is likely to take 18 months.

In the meantime, Matthew Homes will remain responsible for site maintenance, and any issues should be reported to them or me.

I have had sight of the maintenance agreement, which Matthew Homes work to until adoption by the council is finalised. The agreement does not mention the frequency of emptying bins, but it is hoped that we can agree this in the new year.

I have written to Matthew Homes to ask them to install some bollards at Manu Marble Way, to prevent illegal cut-throughs.

Several residents have contacted me about this.

I have a list of issues to raise with Matthew Homes and am hoping to have a site meeting or Teams call early in the New Year.

There has been a persistent problem with fly-tipping by the clothes bank in Burns Avenue, at the entrance to the alleyway leading to Eliot Close.I have asked for fly-tipping to be cleared by the council several times which has been done. The problem is that more appears and the clothes bin seems to be a focal point for other rubbish to be dumped.

I have reported the latest batch of rubbish to the council and it has been acknowledged. Hopefully it will be collected soon.

But we need a better solution long-term. I have suggested that the council contact the charity and we consider alternative locations for the clothes bank. It might be better sited on Scott Avenue, and this would have the advantage of being more in public view to help prevent fly-tipping.

Fly-tipping is illegal and can result in prosecution and fines. It takes a lot of council resources to respond to and police fly-tipping – money that could be better spent on other things.

I will report back on next steps in the new year.

If you see any fly-tipping in our community, here or elsewhere, please let me know.

Gloucester residents are being urged to use the scrunch test to check whether wrapping paper can be recycled. If it springs back it contains plastic and can’t be recycled.

Paper and Christmas cards covered in glitter are also not recyclable and ribbons, bows and other decorations should be removed before going in the recycling blue sack.

 

Synthetic (plastic) or foil wrapping paper can’t be recycled because it can’t be used in paper recycling. Wrapping paper and greetings cards containing glitter are an issue because unlike ink that is removed during flotation, glitter is not easy to remove during the paper making process and can end up on the finished paper products.

 

Residents are also encouraged to make sure they flatten cardboard boxes and remove any polystyrene.

Your day for collection of waste and recycling may change over Christmas, or it might stay the same.

Please check the council website for information about the collections over the holiday period.

Below is a graphic I have screenshotted from the council website giving the normal days of collection and whether your day has changed or not.

Please as always get in touch if you have any problems.