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Councillor Ashley Bowkett wants to see improvements to the tree maintenance budgets

Lib Dem opposition calls for better tree planting and maintenance

Liberal Democrats on Gloucester City Council have laid down a challenge to the Conservatives to plant more trees in the city and improve tree maintenance budgets. Their challenge will be heard at a meeting of the city council when it meets on September 23. Councillor Ashley Bowkett, who represents Barnwood, will move a motion calling for the cabinet member Richard Cook to: - · identify ways the council can do more to support tree planting and maintenance · identify further city council funds for this purpose · encourage the county council to boost funding for highway trees, and · set targets and map them against such further funding so that the 2020 Strategy for Gloucester can be fulfilled. Councillor Bowkett said: "Trees are an essential part of the high-quality green infrastructure that our communities value, yet the current council budget allocated to this is acutely inadequate. "This is putting considerable pressure on the city and county council to meet the commitments laid out in the 2020 Gloucestershir

15 Sep 2021
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Jeremy Hilton with PCC Chris Nelson

Lib Dems invite the police and crime commissioner to address the city council on policing in Gloucester

City councillors are to debate a motion over concerns about anti-social behaviour and petty crime in Gloucester. If approved, the council will invite the newly-elected police and crime commissioner for Gloucestershire, Chris Nelson, to address council on his plans to reduce anti-social behaviour in the city. The motion, which has been proposed by the Liberal Democrats, asks council to agree that increasing the number of police officers and PCSOs patrolling in Gloucester to cut anti-social behaviour and reduce crime is an objective the council could support. The Lib Dems are asking that a letter be sent to Gloucestershire's PCC, from the three group leaders inviting Mr Nelson to address council in open session on his plans to improve community policing in the city of Gloucester, allowing for a question-and-answer session from elected members following Mr Nelson's address to council. Lib Dem group leader Jeremy Hilton, who proposed the motion, said: "Tackling anti-social behaviour across the city was a manifest

14 Sep 2021
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Jeremy Hilton at the Rose Garden

Work to start soon on the new Wellington Parade Garden

The long awaited construction of the new Wellington Parade Garden is imminent after the city council signed the contract with the company who will build it. The new layout has been through public consultation exercise. The garden was closed and boarded up in 2018 at the request of local residents who were fed up with the anti-social behaviour of street drinkers that congregated in a large group and got drunk and misbehaved. Lib Dem councillor Jeremy Hilton said: "I am delighted at long last the work to create the new garden is imminent. It was a long tortious process, which was delayed by the council making a grant application to the Great Western Railways Community Fund that was eventually turned down. "The new layout has been designed to discourage people congregating there and getting drunk and misbehaving. I hope it works. "The garden is a key focal point on London Road, which is in a conservation area and one of the main routes into the city centre. "Last year at budget setting the Lib Dems secured fundi

16 Mar 2021
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Councillors Ashley Bowkett and Jeremy Hilton outside Debenhams in Kings Square

Councillors to debate future of Debenhams building

Councillors are set to discuss the future of the Debenhams store in Gloucester city centre later this month. Liberal Democrat councillors have tabled a motion to be debated at a meeting of the city council on March 18. The motion calls on city council leaders to work with whoever buys Debenhams to retain, restore and repurpose the building. It also calls on the council to block any attempt to demolish the Art Deco building for redevelopment. The department store in Kings Square is facing closure after Debenhams went into administration and the brand was bought by online fashion retailer Boohoo Group. All 124 stores across the country will close with the loss of 12,000 jobs as Boohoo relaunches Debenhams as an online-only retailer later this year. The building, which has been trading as Debenhams since 1973, is adjacent to the £110 million King's Quarter regeneration scheme and could be a key part of that project. It is the largest store in the city and is owned by Aviva, with recent reports suggesting it is u

10 Mar 2021
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National News

Diversity

Windrush 75

Today is Windrush Day - where we acknowledge the outstanding economic, social, and cultural contribution the Windrush generation have made to the United Kingdom.

ED
22 Jun 2023
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Carers

Carer's Leave Bill to become law

The Lib Dem Bill will give an estimated 2.4 million carers across the UK a statutory right to take five days of unpaid leave per year, helping carers to better balance work and care.

19 May 2023
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