You Said We Did Q&A Response - Part 2

There are still many of your questions we are working through. Here are just a few more we'd like to respond to:

When are you going to mow the roundabouts?            

Could the roundabouts around the town centre have plants/ statues/some kind of welcoming design? 

Why can't you get the Tesco roundabout fixed?               

Whilst Gloucestershire County Council is the local authority responsible for highways maintenance, both the Town Council and District Council have sought to arrange additional cuts and support local ideas for approving the appearance and making the roundabouts more welcoming, as a gateway into the town. Unfortunately, our efforts to-date have been fraught with red tape and technical barriers.  

Now that the County Council is being led by a new administration, we would like to re-engage on this and other issues relating to grass cutting.

But pleased to report that the Tesco roundabout flooding issue was fixed.

Are you going to get the contractor to return to correct their defective blockwork in the Market Place?                         

Whilst the scheme was signed off with technical approval, and all contractor defects were addressed prior to the final certificate for the works being issued by the County Council ongoing maintenance will always be necessary; particularly as we continue to see high volumes of traffic and heavy vehicles using town centre routes. The Town Council has entered into an agreement with the County Council to ensure that maintenance will be regularly undertaken; works are currently taking place to repair the uneven block paving in the carriageway.                

When will you address how our roads look?                                                       

What plans are in place for the road surfaces, pavements, hedge cutting and roundabout? 

Please encourage the Glos CC to urgently improve the quality of the roads.  

This is something that is important to Cllr Joe Harris who has contacted the Town Council for information about any longstanding issues that are yet to be resolved. Earlier in the year, the Town Council’s Junior Town Council, campaigned for better roads, pavements and cycle ways and lobbied GCC. We will continue to lobby on your behalf and will explore opportunities to undertake direct maintenance of the public highway under local government reorganisation and devolution. In addition, we set aside a public realm budget each year to support GCC where we can in making improvements.                 

What is happening about the wall along Riverside Walk?        

The Town Council has provided support and advice to a local charity for the re-building of the wall and convened meetings with officers from the District Council and Gloucestershire County Council to establish a viable way forward. We are pleased to report that the repairs are now underway.                               

When will more of the town centre be disabled friendly, including access to shops. Perhaps instead of new road signs and planting flowers, more important issues could be addressed?

We agree it’s important to get the balance right in meeting local needs; in terms of planting flowers whilst the Town Council provides funding for the plants, it is a much valued and committed team of volunteers who, in their own time, look after the planters and hanging baskets in and around the town centre; equally we have lobbied the County Council for greater provision of dedicated spaces for blue badge holders and commissioned an independent access audit towards making the town centre as accessible to all, as possible. We know there is still a lot of work to be done and we all need to be aware of, and challenge, the unnecessary barriers many face on a day to day basis.