This week I received a letter from National Grid Land & Property updating me on the first stage of investigations. Below is the text of the letter:
Dear Councillor Field,
Keeping you informed: routine investigation at former gasworks site at Bristol Road, Gloucester, GL2 5YA now completed
Further to my recent correspondence, I am writing let you know that we have completed the first phase of work on the site of our former gasworks on Bristol Road, Gloucester.
Activity on site
The work carried out involved undertaking some initial routine site investigation works to assess the ground conditions on our land.
The findings from these site investigation works will be used to inform a planning application we anticipate submitting to Gloucester City Council later this year. This will be an application for us to carry out remediation work that will improve the environmental condition of the site so it can be brought back into future beneficial use.
Next steps
Throughout the summer period, we will need to return to the site periodically for post-works monitoring. However, this will not involve any further excavation activity so it is unlikely anyone will notice our team visiting.
Subject to Gloucester City Council granting planning consent, the second phase of remediation work is anticipated as starting early 2022, with it being completed by Summer 2022.
Keeping you informed – ongoing communications
Should you have any questions about our work, please refrain from visiting our site. Instead, please call our Community Relations team between 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday on 0800 1448 904 or via email at NGLPCommunityRelations@camargue.uk.
This week I met with an open spaces officer from the city council to look at the gates at Tuffley Park, both the one halfway along the wall that is used by walkers and dog-walkers, and the main entrance to the Club at Tuffley Park.
Both gates are in need of either repair or replacement and I am going to work with officers to try to identify funding to get them fixed.
Sarah Green MP with Lib Dems from across the country
Cllr Sebastian Field has hailed the recent Lib Dem victory in Chesham & Amersham. The party overturned a 16,000 Conservative majority to take the seat with a majority of over 8000.
He said ‘this was a team effort with Lib Dems from all over the country going to help. I went down and did some campaigning along with colleagues from across Gloucestershire. It was great to pull off a win and shows we can beat the Conservatives anywhere.’
I wrote an update about the wall at Tuffley Park on Facebook recently:
UPDATE ON THE TUFFLEY PARK WALL
1st June 2021
A planning application was submitted last month to remove the wall along Tuffley Park and replace it with a 1.8 metre high metal hoop-top fence.
This came about after the council looked at options to repair or replace the damage that occurred last year when the wall was hit by a car.
The plan was to use the £50K insurance money and some section 106 money from developers to pay for the fence, which would have cost £100K overall. No taxpayer money would have been spent on this project.
I posted on this page at the time and wrote to the residents most directly affected by this application. The Labour councillors in Moreland did the same.
There were a variety of responses, some in favour and some against. Some people wanted to retain the wall due to its age and the fact that it has been a feature for a long time. Others wanted to see the park opened up and some hedges planted along the fence line.
The matter was due to come to planning committee in July. The council have since taken advice from their conservation officer and determined that the fence would not have been a high quality enough replacement. The wall was also deemed to have historical, communal and landmark value.
The damaged section of wall will now be repaired. Although the rest of the wall has some cosmetic cracks it is structurally sound. The area is inspected regularly as part of the council estate but the council have added a specific check on the wall.
This matter may well be revisited in the future and I still hope that we can make improvements in this area. Of particular concern is the gate into the park which needs sorting out.
Some people will be relieved and some will be disappointed by this decision. It is important to listen to and respect all views.
What has been heartening about this debate have been all the offers of help, the goodwill of the community and the wish to make our park better. I hope that this continues.
*****
So it looks as though the wall will be staying, but we might have the opportunity to install better gates – something that lots of residents have asked me about. Let me know your thoughts on any of the above here.
I reported the manhole cover by the bus shelter on Tuffley Avenue, as it was loose, and vehicles were making a noise when driving over it. It was irritating for residents.
I am pleased that this has now been fixed. I am taking action all across Podsmead.
Recently there has been attempted car breaks in the area. Offenders are trying car door handles. So please make sure you lock your car, especially at night time. Other top tips include: • Close all windows and your sun roof. • Don’t leave any valuables on view in the vehicle, this includes ruck sacks, jackets and sports bags. • If possible, park in well-lit areas and busy streets, including under or near lamp posts. • Think about getting a steering wheel lock.
Message Sent By Mike Edwards (Police, PCSO, Gloucester)
Phishing remains the most successful attack vector for cyber criminals targeting individuals and businesses.
Cyber criminals love phishing. Unfortunately, this is not a harmless riverbank pursuit. When criminals go phishing, you are the fish and the bait is usually contained in a scam email or text message. The criminal’s goal is to convince you to click on the links within their scam email or text message, or to give away sensitive information (such as bank details). These messages may look like the real thing but are malicious. Once clicked, you may be sent to a dodgy website which could download viruses onto your computer, or steal your passwords.
As of 30 April 2021, over 5.8 million emails were reported to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS). The tool, which was launched by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the City of London Police last April, allows the public to forward suspicious emails to an automated system that scans it for malicious links. Since its launch, over 43,000 scams and 84,000 malicious websites have been removed.
What are the most common phishing scams?
The most commonly spoofed organisation reported in phishing emails was TV Licensing, with victims of these emails reporting losses totalling £5.3m. The majority of losses occurred as a result of victims following malicious links in the emails and inputting their personal information into what they thought was the legitimate TV Licensing website. Shortly after, they would receive a call from criminals impersonating bank staff who was able to convince them that their bank accounts were compromised and persuaded them to transfer all of their money to a new ‘safe’ account. Some of the other most commonly impersonated organisations included HMRC and DVLA. We also received more than 40,000 suspicious email reports relating to COVID-19.
How you can protect yourself from phishing messages.
Fake emails and text messages can sometimes be difficult to spot and criminals are constantly getting better at finding ways to make them seem more authentic. Email address spoofing, for example, is just one of the tactics criminals will use to try and make their fake emails look real. Here are some tips you should follow to protect yourself, and others, from scam emails and text messages:
1: Be cautious of messages asking for your personal information. Official organisations, such as your bank, should never ask you for personal or financial information via email or text message. If you receive a message and you want to check that it’s legitimate, you can call the organisation directly using a known number, such as the one on a bank statement or utility bill.
2: Report suspicious emails. If you receive an email you’re not quite sure about, you should report it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) by forwarding the email to: report@phishing.gov.uk. Your reports will help government and law enforcement agencies to remove malicious emails and websites.
3: Report suspicious text messages. If you receive a suspicious text message, you can report it by forwarding the message to 7726. It’s free of charge and enables your mobile network provider to investigate the origin of the text and take action, if found to be malicious.
4: Report fraud. If you’ve lost money or provided personal information as a result of a phishing scam, notify your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud.
