Latest news with #StephenDavies
BBC News
11-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Cheltenham's Zone 15 parking permit scheme cost taxpayer £600k
Almost £600,000 has been spent so far on a "botched" rollout of residential parking County Council's implementation of the Zone 15 parking permit scheme in Cheltenham was so bad council chiefs issued a "sincere apology" in the authority said changes had since been made following "extensive public engagement" and the new and improved scheme went live on have openly criticised the substantial cost to taxpayers but council leader Stephen Davies said there was "a price tag to doing the right thing". The Zone 15 scheme, which was launched in December 2023 and covers the All Saints area, was set up to discourage commuters from parking in residential disgruntled residents were soon "up in arms" over the contentious operating hours and a lack of clarity over the Borough Councillor Julian Tooke said the "botched scheme" was the result of not implementing an experimental traffic regulation order to test its viability. Cost breakdown A Freedom of Information (FOI) request revealed the total cost of planning, consulting and implementing the scheme came to almost £595,000 as of 19 February this breakdown - which includes the cost of consultants, third parties and direct costs to the authority - shows the Atkins project cost £136, £124,796 was spent on design consultants and £12,151 on printing and posting of review of the Zone 15 scheme cost £99,903 while the project set up, inception and ongoing management had cost £2, community engagement and consultation cost £78,878 and site investigations, preliminary designs and review cost £18, work to install the signage and paint the road markings came to £121,284 alone. Town resident Michael Bloxham, who submitted the FOI request, said some of the signs which had been installed were still wrong, such as the one in Pittville Circus."The final bill will be heading towards a million pounds on an ill-conceived and generally unwanted scheme," he said."Who at Gloucestershire County Council will be held accountable for this squandering of public money in times of austerity?" Davies said: "The Zone 15 parking zone covers a large area with many localised issues and competing priorities for parking and road space. "The council has undertaken a review to see how the zone can be improved to ensure that the resident parking scheme meets the needs of the majority of residents and businesses in the area, with rules that are clear and understandable to all motorists."Following the initial plan we have reviewed processes but it is important that we have responded to public concerns and there is a price tag to doing the right thing."
BBC News
10-03-2025
- BBC News
Cheltenham Promenade tarmac scheme slammed by civic society
Plans to remove historic flagstones and replace them with tarmac on a historic street have been slammed by a civic County Council (GCC) and Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) have said proposed changes to the layout of the Promenade in Cheltenham town centre are essential to enable vehicle Cheltenham Civic Society (CCS) said it is concerned the scheme is an attempt to "fix Cheltenham on the cheap" and that it will damage the town's heritage and detract from its appeal to GCC leader Stephen Davies said the scheme had been designed with Cheltenham's "vibrant market town centre" at the forefront. The councils are aiming to save money after spending about £100,000 this year alone on "tarmac cowpat" repairs and replacing broken York stone pavingThey are considering the removal of some of the York stone outside Cavendish House and replacing them with a strip of scheme would involve removing paving stones down the centre of the Promenade and replacing them with a tarmac and buff coloured strip flanked by bollards to prevent vehicles driving onto the remaining stone plans, discussed at a meeting on 4 March, could happen as soon as May according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Andrew Booton, chair of CCS, described the scheme as an impulsive response to poor maintenance. "Let's not forget, the roads were in that state because GCC had neglected them," he said."And because CBC, the supposed guardian of our public realm, took no interest in pushing GCC to address their terrible state. "Their badly-installed reinstatements keep failing due to poor workmanship." Mr Booton said the Promenade, home to numerous listed buildings, is the town's "social and emotional barometer" and must be protected."When the Prom looks sad with empty shops, the rest of the town feels it," he continued."Every time CBC and GCC's fingerprints touch our historic fabric, a little bit more of the town's heritage is compromised or disappears altogether. "We cannot trust them to do what is right. We constantly have to fight against mediocrity, laziness and apathy." Davies said he was "surprised" at the reaction from GCC leader said: "They are aware of the challenges in getting the right balance at this location."The option that we have chosen provides an attractive, hard-wearing surface that's smoother and more accessible to visitors."The materials and repairs will be easier to source, so utility companies will be able to provide an instant repair following their work, and this will also be more cost-effective in the long-term."CBC said it is committed to raising the standard of the quality of the town centre and has consistently lobbied GCC to support this.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New Send school given £20m funding boost
Plans to build a new school for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) has received an extra £20m in funding. The funding, approved by Gloucestershire County Council, will go towards the 200-pupil school in Alstone Croft, Cheltenham. It is hoped the school, which will cater for primary and secondary pupils, will open in 2028. Council leader Stephen Davies said: "We are committed to making sure children and young people in our county get the specialist education they need at a school closer to where they live." More news stories for Gloucestershire Listen to the latest news for Gloucestershire He said the £20m investment would bring the number of new special school places up to 540 since 2022. The council said there continued to be an increasing need for Send school places in Gloucestershire, with the shortage leading to some children travelling to schools out of the county or to independent schools to have their educational needs met, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The council has invested about £50m to extend the number of special school places in Gloucestershire, with a further £2.7m used to create additional places at existing special schools across the county. Two new Send schools, Brook Academy in Brockworth and Sladewood in Stroud, have already opened, with one more planned for Gloucester at Wheatridge East. The council said it would work closely with Cheltenham Borough Council and the Parent Carer Forum to make sure residents and parents in the Send community could give feedback on plans for the school. It said the building would be designed to operate at net-zero carbon emissions, in line with the county council's pledge to reduce Gloucestershire's carbon emissions to net-zero by 2030. Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. New nursery 'making huge difference' for families Gloucestershire SEND group raising £100k for building Mum says girl 'doesn't get right support' at school Local Democracy Reporting Service Gloucestershire County Council
BBC News
09-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
New Send school in Cheltenham given £20m funding boost
Plans to build a new school for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) has received an extra £20m in funding, approved by Gloucestershire County Council, will go towards the 200-pupil school in Alstone Croft, is hoped the school, which will cater for primary and secondary pupils, will open in leader Stephen Davies said: "We are committed to making sure children and young people in our county get the specialist education they need at a school closer to where they live." He said the £20m investment would bring the number of new special school places up to 540 since council said there continued to be an increasing need for Send school places in Gloucestershire, with the shortage leading to some children travelling to schools out of the county or to independent schools to have their educational needs met, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The council has invested about £50m to extend the number of special school places in Gloucestershire, with a further £2.7m used to create additional places at existing special schools across the county. Two new Send schools, Brook Academy in Brockworth and Sladewood in Stroud, have already opened, with one more planned for Gloucester at Wheatridge council said it would work closely with Cheltenham Borough Council and the Parent Carer Forum to make sure residents and parents in the Send community could give feedback on plans for the said the building would be designed to operate at net-zero carbon emissions, in line with the county council's pledge to reduce Gloucestershire's carbon emissions to net-zero by 2030.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
£8m boost to bus network given the go-ahead
An £8m plan to improve bus services across Gloucestershire has been given the green light. It includes improving bus links between Stroud and Cirencester, expanding the NHS-funded 99 bus service on a Sunday and developing a digital bus service map. Gloucestershire County Council's cabinet approved the plan at a meeting on Thursday. Councillor Stephen Davies, the council's leader, said the investment aims to make the environment more attractive and reduce journey times of bus services. More news stories for Gloucestershire Listen to the latest news for Gloucestershire Upgrades to real-time information displays and diesel buses at the middle of their lives will be retrofitted with electric vehicle technology, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. The council said it wants to boost the number of people using buses around the county beyond figures from before the pandemic after a drop in numbers. Mr Davies said in the meeting: "This ambitious plan will not only enhance the quality and reliability of bus services across Gloucestershire but also encourage more residents to choose public transport, contributing to a greener and more connected county." Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Gloucestershire transport schemes get £14m funding Electric buses heading to Gloucestershire routes 'Families should move to avoid school run issues' Gloucestershire County Council
