April Update
‘Stronger Futures’ at Shire Hall
We launched our strategy to modernise, protect vital services and cut costs at the council.
The programme will overhaul how the council operates, using new technology, tighter financial controls and a more efficient structure to deliver millions in savings allowing money to be spent where it’s needed most. Communities, roads, health provision, the list goes on.
We are incredibly proud of this programme; it’s about doing things differently. The previous administration was content to leave things ticking along and ignore dwindling funding. However, we are being proactive, investing in efficiencies and ensuring every pound is spent in the best possible way to support our residents.
Highways
Network safety, potholes and the post‑winter backlog
- Safety defect volumes still high but now decreasing and we are around 25-30% down from the peak last month. Teams are working hard to prioritise and get round to repair everything.
- There are now 2 x Dragon Patcher machines working across the network – one on helping to get safety defects fixed, and one on Find and Fix locations. The Roadmender operations also start in early May. Both operations will help to make an impact on the network over the dryer, summer months.
- The Find and Fix operations this year will also include a patching gang to be able to tackle larger repairs alongside the other works.
- AI cameras are being trialled to enhance safety inspections; early results are looking positive for carriageway defects, with an anticipated report back to Highways Board in Summer 2026.
- Grass cutting will be starting in May – programmes being finalised currently but will be published on website as soon as they are available – safety cut will be first (junctions/bends/rbts).
- Support being provided by highways to Police on RAF Fairford traffic management
Resurfacing and planned maintenance
- Resurfacing programme mobilising well, with 188 sites currently programmed for 2026/27, data‑led but geographically spread across the county.
- See this webpage for details and map https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/resurfacing/
Safer Roads and Community 20s programme
We passed a Cabinet report that demonstrates how locations will be prioritised, how communities will be involved and how decisions will be made as the programme is rolled out across the county.
We also confirmed the first locations to move into public engagement, starting with Cirencester, Preston and Siddington.
Read more about prioritisation and future roll out in the report here – https://glostext.gloucestershire.gov.uk/documents/g12175/Public%20reports%20pack%20Wednesday%2022-Apr-2026%2010.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10
This was one of our key manifesto commitments and we are incredibly happy to see it come to fruition. The amount of road casualties our county experiences is far too high and we are fully committed to reducing this through safer roads.
Local Growth Plan
Cabinet passed the Local Growth Plan 2025-2035 on 22 April. It unites all seven councils behind a single economic strategy for the first time ever.
The plan sets out a strategic vision focused on developing sectors where Gloucestershire already has competitive advantages over other counties such as:
- Secure Technologies and Digital
- Agri-Tech
- Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing
- Energy Transition and Low Carbon Innovation
It focuses on growth that people can actually feel rather than just stats that look good on paper, there is a serious delivery plan and clear method of being held to account.
For more information, the Cabinet report can be found here – https://glostext.gloucestershire.gov.uk/documents/g12175/Public%20reports%20pack%20Wednesday%2022-Apr-2026%2010.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10
Be Water Aware campaign
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service is running its annual Be Water Aware campaign from Monday 27 April to Sunday 3 May highlighting the ongoing and preventable risk of accidental drowning.
Between 2019 and 2024, 1,602 people across the UK lost their lives in accidental drowning incidents. Of these, 56 per cent occurred in inland waters such as rivers, lakes and reservoirs.
We are working with partners across Gloucestershire to promote water safety, including community engagement activities and water safety education.
For more information and advice visit – https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/glosfire/your-safety/safety-outdoors/water-safety/
Fire and Rescue Service Community Risk Management Plan 2026 2030
We passed our new community risk management plan for the Fire and Rescue Service. This lays out how we will allocate resources and implement strategies to mitigate identified risks effectively.
This is a modern, forward-looking plan that sets out how we will prevent emergencies where we can, protect people and places where risks exist, and respond quickly and effectively when incidents do happen.
Primary School Places
98 per cent of pupils have been offered a place at a school of their choice. Parents and carers who applied online should have received an email on 16 April confirming their school place, which they will be invited to accept online.
Those who did not apply online will receive a letter detailing the place offered and the reasons for it. This letter will be specific to each child.
Cotswold canal restoration
We invested £1 million into replacing Walk Bridge near Whitminster as part of a partnership with Stroud District Council. Replacing Walk Bridge will support our wider economic and climate goals by connecting the canal sections, improving active travel routes, strengthening green infrastructure and helping deliver long-term biodiversity and environmental improvements.
Trading Standards enforcement
Gloucestershire Trading Standards have carried out a targeted project over the past month to check whether local shops are following the law on price marking, as set out in the Price Marking Order 2004.
Officers visited 61 stores across Gloucester, Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, Dursley, Stroud, Stonehouse, Cirencester and the Forest of Dean.
Anyone who is concerned about pricing or possible non-compliance can email tradingstandards@gloucestershire.gov.uk or visit the Trading Standards website at https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/trading-standards/
Lydbrook Bridge
We are working with Hereforshire Council on next steps for Lydbrook Bridge in the Forest of Dean. The bridge remains closed due to safety concerns, as the temporary scaffolding providing pedestrian access since 2016 has now reached the end of its safe working life.
We are working hard to secure funding for a long-term, sustainable solution that balances safety, heritage and value for money. In the meantime, the existing scaffolding will be removed for safety reasons, and options under consideration include retaining and repairing the current structure or potentially delivering a new bridge in keeping with the surrounding area.
New Assistant Chief Fire Officer
We have appointed Mick Berry as its new Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO). He joins GFRS from Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, where he has spent 28 years working across a wide range of operational and leadership roles.