Vicki and I were pleased to give a short concert to the Companions in the Winget Bowls Club a couple of weeks ago.
We were accompanied by our friend Sue Honeywill at the piano, and we have a selection of the music-making we do in Gloucester, from Handel to the Beatles by way of folk and ABBA.
The Companions thanked us for performing and kindly donated £50 from their collection to our nominated charity, Joshua’s Warriors.
If you want to hear Vicki and I and many others perform, do come along to the GLOW Festival – it’s all free. You can find out more about all our music-making by visiting www.creativefield.uk.
After residents contacted me, I have written to Matthew Homes over the vegetation overhanging the footpath at Neven Place park, and asked them to get it cut back.
Many residents have raised with me the fact that the play areas are still not open yet. This is obviously a frustrating situation and I have urged Matthew Homes once again on this matter.
I have also alerted them to the grass/weeds growing through the playing area surface. Once the play area is open and adopted by the city council, more regular maintenance will be carried out.
Work is progressing steadily at Milton Avenue. The council have marked out some of the meadow area, and asked the Podsmead Clearance Team to suspend cutting this area for the time being.
When we had our site meeting at the site we discussed other issues such as dealing with the weeds around the perimeter, reducing the brambles and removing concrete posts. These items are out for pricing at the moment.
Progress is being documented on the Milton Avenue park action group on Facebook, which is being managed by Lisa Jevins.
The city council has launched a consultation to find out what residents and businesses think about existing Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs).
A PSPO places rules on a public place and can restrict certain behaviour or require people to do certain things. PSPOs are put in place usually when people’s behaviour has caused a nuisance to others using or living in that area.
The council want to hear from residents, people who use our public spaces and partner agencies to help them decide whether the existing PSPOs should remain in place for another three years.
They would also like to know whether other behaviour is occurring in the city which causes a nuisance and therefore may need addressing with further PSPOs.
The following three PSPOs have been in place since 2018 and are now up for review.
Citywide PSPO
· Dogs must be kept under control at all times, and put on a lead if requested.
· Dogs are not allowed in children’s play parks.
· Dog fouling must be cleaned up.
· Anyone drinking alcohol in a public space must dispose of or hand over their alcohol when requested to do so by an authorised officer, if the request is made in order to stop or prevent a nuisance.
City centre PSPO
· Creates an alcohol-free zone in the city centre, banning anyone from drinking alcohol in a public space (on the streets, in a park or any other public space) within the city centre area.
Organs Alley PSPO
· This restricts access to the alleyway between Eastgate Street and Russell Street in Gloucester city centre, where nuisance and anti-social behaviour was occurring.
I recently received the following email from the environment and flood officer at Gloucester City Council:
‘I am writing to you to provide a quick update on the on-going City wide European Union funded Urban Greening works that are planned for your area. Gloucester City Council has secured funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to protect and enhance the environment. The project’s benefits include more diverse natural habitats, improved connectivity between green open spaces that boost our wellbeing and wildlife as well as flood management.
Part of the funding has been designated to create wildflower meadows across the city. In order to establish these meadows, the existing grass must be treated and prepared to accept the special seed mix.
In anticipation of meeting the timings for sowing this autumn, during September our Contractors will carry out ground preparation to several areas within the public open spaces at Tuffley Park and Milton Avenue. The purpose is to create open structure in the existing grass sward that will allow the wildlife seed to make contact with the soil and germinate. The process will help reduce competition from common grasses and weeds during the establishment of the meadow.
Preparation of the areas is to be done by herbicidal (Glyphosate) treatment and rotavating which will cause the area to look very bare until the seed is established. The proposals include for bulbs and a number of new trees to be planted.
During this time and given the potential for seasonal weather the bare earth may become unsightly and muddy under the normal wetting and drying. This is normal and will be made good during the works.
Once the meadow has been seeded and established it will be managed on a cut and collect basis. This involves cutting the meadows once in late summer and the arisings removed from the surface. Paths and the wider amenity areas are anticipated to be cut on the regular mowing regime.
I’ve attached basic plans showing the proposed new areas. These are not 100% set in stone and may be adjusted during the works. ‘
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Plans for Tuffley Park – subject to revision
There may well be a need for volunteers so do please get in touch with me if you would like to help. It is exciting to see the potential for these areas.
There is an athletics event taking place at the Blackbridge track this weekend.
The track is hosting ultra-distance races over 24 and 48 hours, events at which the Gloucester Athletic Club has a proud tradition, having produced world and British record holders!
The full programme can be viewed via the link below:
King Richard III of England was killed on 22nd August 1485. Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Bosworth, where Henry Tudor became King Henry VII. Allegiances and loyalties are still at issue even today!
In Gloucester we have a strong connection to King Richard. As Duke of Gloucester and then King of England, Richard was a friend to the City of Gloucester.
The Charter of Incorporation later in the year 1483 set out the way our Mayor was elected.
The picture above is an illumination of Richard’s coat of arms, from the Gloucester Charter. The photo below shows the arms and plaque on St Michael’s Tower in Gloucester city centre, put there to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Charter in 1983.
