A Podsmead resident raised the issue of the damaged kerb at the corner of Calton Road into Tuffley Avenue. A child they know nearly took a tumble because of the cracks in the slabs.

I have reported this to Highways and called for it to be made safe ASAP. There are some measures being proposed to calm traffic and make it easier to cross, coming in hopefully next year. Find out more here.

Back in the summer I was contacted by a resident who had a concern about the alleyway from Burns Avenue to Eliot Close.

There was a lot of debris on the path, the pavement surface was poor and there were a number of trees overhanging the pavement, some with quite low branches at head height.

I contacted the city council and Highways to see what we could get done. I’m delighted to see that the paths have been cleared and the trees have been tidied up by the council.

If you know of an area that could do with a bit of attention, please let me know.

This week I had a walkabout in Podsmead with the city council’s tree officer.

We covered a lot of ground in the Tuffley Park area of the ward, and noted down a list of issues.

Whilst we get lots of contact and requests for tree works, there simply isn’t the budget or manpower to undertake everything we could do. Priority is given to dead, dying or dangerous trees. In general, healthy trees will be left alone as long as they are not a health and safety issue.

The storms earlier this year have also had a big impact on the tree team and their capacity, as well as of course Covid, which has delayed works.

Nevertheless, there are some works in the pipeline, which I will be informing the residents who contacted me about.

We also made plans for planting some new trees from the council allocation. This will need to be done with care and the help of the local community. I am delighted that Podsmead community groups are expressing an interest in helping with this.

Gloucestershire Highways have recently written to residents along Tuffley Avenue, outlining some traffic calming measures they are proposing.

I was consulted as the ward member for the city council, and made a few comments and asked some questions.

The plans will be going out for wider public consultation and there will be ample chance for all who wish to, to make comments. The engineers will make any necessary adjustments as they see fit and hopefully any works will be undertaken next year.

You can view the plans here, under the Gloucester TROs section.

I would be keen to see the road made safer, especially for children and parents crossing over to Calton Road school.

I reported to the council the overhanging branches on the footbridge from Podsmead Road over Cole Avenue into Tuffley.

These have now been done and it has cleared the walkway for pedestrians.

If you know of any trees or bushes that are overhanging the footpaths in Podsmead please get in touch.

I was contacted by residents who were concerned about the bin store outside their block of flats.

It is getting too full of rubbish and they could do with an extra bin. An additional problem is fly-tipping, where people drive by and throw the rubbish into the bin store from the road.

I have raised this issue with Gloucester City Homes and Gloucester City Council. I have been informed that there is a Fire Risk Assessment planned for later this year, and these issues will be looked at then. In the meantime I am asking the council to provide an extra bin. There are other bin stores in Podsmead that also need attention.

Working with the suppliers, Metrostor, and the council as the refuse collecting authority, hopefully we can improve the appearance and functionality of the bin stores and make them safer for all.

Read with me (www.readwithme.org.uk) is delighted that our volunteers are now back in local primary schools hearing children learn to read. There are many children who have missed out during lockdown and some need immediate help to ensure they catch up and can take part fully in all lessons.

We need as many volunteers as possible to be able to make sure that no child in Gloucester falls through the net. At the moment 1 in 5 children leave primary school unable to read properly. Many are never heard to read at home.

If you can give an hour once or twice a week to hear children read please get in touch. If we can hear a child read twice a week we can usually make a major difference.

You’ll need to complete a simple DBS for and we’ll give you full training and support.

Read with me provides this service free to schools and all our costs are met by fundraising.

If you can help or would like to find out more call : Linda at linda@readwithme.org.uk or call 07791 110906, or Rachel at rachel@readwithme.org.uk, call 07791 110910.

The heavy rainfall over the last couple of days has caused some issues in Gloucester with flooding and other hazards.

Please take care and if there is an emergency highways problem to report, there is helpful advice below from Gloucestershire Roads:

If a highways issue poses an immediate danger to public safety please call our emergency number 08000 514 514.

Emergency highways issues are classed as follows:

Objects on the highway network (i.e. a fallen tree)
Faulty temporary or permanent traffic lights (i.e. stuck on red)
Exposed cables
Multiple street lighting faults
Flooded roads
Potholes (over 75mm deep) – non emergency potholes can be reported online

You can always contact me to let me know of any issues with flooding in your road or garden. Photos are really helpful.

I called for this kerb in Corolin Road to be fixed and I’m pleased to report that it’s been done.

We need to keep the important business route at Lower Tuffley Lane in good repair.

If you know of any kerbs or potholes that need fixing please let me know.

A trial of e-scooters started in Gloucester on October 1st.

They are currently illegal in the UK but the Department for Transport has made an exemption for scooters in trial areas. I asked a question about them in full council last week and will be monitoring the issue.

E-scooters could be good for the environment in terms of low-carbon, but not if they distract from walking and cycling. This is a Gloucestershire County Council scheme but being trialed in the Gloucester City area. I hope it’s done safely as many have concerns. I have been in touch with the RNIB and Guide Dogs over this issue.

The county council Q&A is accessible here: thinktravel.info/e-scooter/