Lib Dems outline plans for Gloucester

The Liberal Democrats are developing a set of radical policies to reverse the Conservatives' Vanishing Council and kick-start the regeneration of Gloucester.

Underpinning this will be the pledge to relocate the city council offices from the Docks to the King's Quarter.

They also want to see a new civil justice centre built there as part of the project.

This will revitalise the King's Quarter scheme in the same way the city council relocating to the North, Herbert, Kimberley and Phillpott warehouses in the 1980s spurred the renaissance of the Docks as a business, leisure and tourism destination.

The HKP warehouses would make an ideal location for a boutique quality hotel with stunning views over the Docks.

It would also mean the city council was not leasing cramped office space on the fifth floor of Shire Hall - cementing Gloucester's position as the Vanishing Council.

The Liberal Democrats would also replace the poor performing waste collection and street cleaning contractor Amey and look at whether the city council could run the service again.

They also want to see real progress in building more affordable homes and homes for social rent as there are 3,900 families are on the housing waiting list in Gloucester.

The Lib Dems will prioritise the building of new homes on brownfield sites over the greenbelt around the edge of Gloucester.

Councillor Jeremy Hilton, leader of Gloucester Lib Dems, said: "The Lib Dems want to see Gloucester thrive and have a real plan to make that vision happen.

"We want to use the relocation of the city council headquarters as the catalyst to regenerate the King's Quarter, alongside a new civil justice centre. Labour and the Tories are against this.

"We believe this would be a real start to regenerate Gloucester and put to an end what has become the Vanishing Council.

Councillor Declan Wilson, deputy Lib Dem leader, added: "The Conservatives have run Gloucester City Council for 14 years and under their management the council is disappearing before our eyes.

"The Tory administration is exhausted and has run out of good ideas to revitalise and regenerate our city.

"Staff numbers have been cut by more than half in a decade, the residents' drop in advice centre will become appointment only and the council will soon be selling its HQ and renting the cramped fifth floor of Shire Hall.

"Local residents deserve better and they should have a council that listens to their concerns about waste collections, street cleaning and other vital local services."