A very happy new year to all Podsmead residents. I hope you all had a nice Christmas break.
One of the first things I’m dealing with is the damage to local trees caused by the recent windy weather.
I have reported the uprooted or damaged trees on Scott Avenue open space, Tuffley Park and in Newark Road to the council for action. I hope they all can be replaced.
If you know of any more uprooted or damaged trees in our area, please let me know:
Two early wins for the new year: street signs I’ve reported for repair in Byron Avenue and Keats Avenue have been attended to and fixed, according to the council.
I will go and check them soon.
If you spot any more damaged or missing signs in our area please let me know.
It was great to be out carol singing in Podsmead on Wednesday 20th December.
Working with the local PCSOs from Gloucestershire Constabulary and the Blackbridge Charitable Community Benefit Society, we were able once again to hold an event in Earls Park, and then later on in Scott Avenue.
For the first event we had The Salvation Army Gloucester band, and many thanks to Phil Webb and his colleagues for leading the music.
For choirs we had members of the Ecclesiastical Insurance Gloucester staff choir, which my wife Vicki runs, and the City of Gloucester Community Choir which we co-run, and the community sang along heartily. There was a brilliant turn out at both events and at Earls Park we had some lovely singing from young and old. We also had appearances from Santa 🎅
Ecclesiastical have generously offered to double any donations made on the night to the Salvation Army, which is fantastic news.
There were refreshments and more singing at Scott Avenue and my thanks go to Debbie, Debbie, Jim and Kelly-Marie for all they did to organise the events.
Truly the community spirit in Podsmead is alive and well.
There will be two days of football camps for children aged 8-14 years, on 4th and 5th January 2024. The camps are being held in Glevum Park in Podsmead, where Tuffley Rovers play their home games.
Details of how to register are on the poster.
Whilst most of us will be enjoying the Festive break, many people will be working over Christmas and New Year to keep the rest of us safe, secure and comfortable.
So thank you:
My apologies to anyone else I have missed from this list.
I was pleased to see that the street sign on Podsmead Road, which was covered over with vegetation, has now been uncovered at my urging. It took quite a while what with both councils telling me it was the responsibility of the other. Some of these small jobs are taking too long to get done.
Here is the leaflet issued by Gloucester City Council, detailing the arrangements for Christmas and New Year waste and recycling. You can see more information online here.
I was very sorry to see the Club at Tuffley Park close earlier this year, when the company running it went into liquidation. I sympathise with anyone who lost money through cancelled events.
I have been in regular contact with the city council, who own the building, about its future. There has been much interest from local firms, charities and organisations in taking it over.
I am adamant that the tenant who takes this on will need to run it as a genuine community resource. I would expect to work proactively with them, as well as the excellent Friends of Tuffley Park 🌳 to bring the Club on and embed them in the Podsmead community.
At the moment the council are still responding to questions from interested parties, and once these are answered they will be convening a panel to review the shortlisted applicants. I hope to be a part of this panel as the local city councillor.
The building needs some repairs due to the recent bad weather and being empty for so long, so it unlikely to be open until the new year.
I will continue to work proactively with the council to bring this valuable community resource back into use as soon as possible.
As always I have been active reporting the issues that matter on behalf of Podsmead residents.
They include:
Chasing up the city council over the damaged bin on Scott Avenue 🔜
Requesting a resurface for Eliot Close 🕳️🤞🏻
Reporting fly-tipping to the landowner in Burns Avenue ♻️
Asking for the leaves to be swept on Tuffley Avenue 🍁
Reporting highways issues at Redwood Close and Keats Avenue 🕳️
Checking on the repair of the minor sinkhole in Tennyson Avenue 🕳️ 👍🏻
As ever if I can help with any problem, big or small, let me know:
After residents contacted me about the new traffic calming scheme on Tuffley Avenue, I have been liaising with the Highways manager for the area and raising my concerns.
One point I have mentioned several times is that traffic is building up around the entrance to Newark Road, as there is a buildout and speed bump installed very near to the exit/entrance from Newark onto Tuffley Avenue.
Residents have found it very difficult to get out of their road, especially in the mornings.
The county council have agreed with me and the residents that a KEEP CLEAR box is needed and this will be carried out in the new year.
