The water level in the Milton Avenue pond has been very high this week! During my meeting with the local police I spotted this fly-tipping and reported it to the council. They had already attended swiftly to deal with the vandalised bench I reported earlier.

I had previously met on site with the Leader of the Council after a question I asked him about the prior vandalism to the viewing deck, to look at potential security measures we could put in place at this site.

The police are now looking into what they could do at the area, and will be reporting back to me soon. It is always appreciated if local residents can let me know about any vandalism they see. Whilst we must always move quickly to deal with vandalism, I am also keen to do everything I can to provide opportunities for young people in the area, and to work proactively with local community groups, so that we combat the root cause of vandalism.

Think your child might be eligible for free school meals?

You can apply via the form here, and you can also see the criteria.

School receive extra funding for every free school meal place, so please consider applying even if you do not wish to take up your free meal.

Free school meals were one of the many policies pushed for by the Lib Dems when they were in government.

Gloucester Liberal Democrats are calling for a new arts and culture plan for Gloucester post-Covid. As the Liberal Democrat group spokesperson for Culture and Leisure, I wrote to Cabinet Member Steve Morgan (see above).

Steve replied very warmly and I have been invited to join the Covid-19 recovery group for Culture and Leisure, which meets every fortnight.

During the pandemic, Gloucestershire Highways have been prioritising urgent safety repairs.

I reported this dangerous broken manhole cover in Empire Way, Podsmead, and was pleased to see such prompt action.

Recently I met up with PC Lea and Sgt Kear of Gloucestershire Constabulary.

We discussed issues such as the recent vandalism at Milton Avenue, and criminal incidents in the Earls Park estate.

We will be following up what we discussed in the next few days & reporting back to residents.

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The A38 Cole Avenue in Gloucester is being resurfaced overnight from Tuesday 16 June onwards.

The resurfacing work will take 24 nights to complete, from 7pm to 7am each night (excluding weekends), and will be carried out in two phases.

Phase 1: the road will be closed between 16 June to 29 June from the junction at Bristol Road to the junction at Podsmead Road and Epney Road.

Phase 2: the road will be closed between 30 June to 17 July from the junction at Bristol Road to the St Barnabus Roundabout.

I am pleased to see this work being carried out but it is a shame that it was not started during lockdown, as this could have further minimized disruption. I will keep pressing the Conservative administration at Shire Hall to invest more in our roads.

In recent months, with the exception of during the lockdown, much good work has been done by volunteers, especially Lisa Jevins and the Podsmead Clearance Team, to clear back the bramble and remove the rubbish from around the Milton Avenue area. It has been good to see the path from Milton open, and able to be accessed by wheelchairs and walkers.

We are now looking at the future plans for the area, and how to spend the European funding that will be put into the Gloucester Urban Greening Project. Much will be done to plant flowers, reeds and make other improvements.

The first step will be to get the stubborn bramble cut back, then to clear out the rubbish and think about how we can use the space more effectively. The council has commissioned a contractor to investigate and start cutting back the bramble. I look forward to seeing the changes and helping out where and when I can.

I was disappointed to see vandalism at Milton Avenue play park. Thanks to Jordan of the Podsmead Clearance Team for letting me know about it and putting the wood back in place.
I am writing to the council & police to inform them. Unfortunately it means more council resources to repair it.

It was lovely to see the poppy and flower display at Plock Court, Gloucester. The flowers were planted as part of the Gloucester Urban Greening Project, which is funded by the European Structural Investment Fund.