⏩ The Gloucester Start: Thursday February 20th
Service charges backlash | Restaurant to close | Council tax going up
Good morning, welcome to Thursday’s Start. Two big stories affecting the city’s main social housing provider have moved along significantly in the last 24 hours and you can have a pretty good idea of how much council tax you’ll be paying next year after the county council’s precept was agreed. That and more in today’s bulletin.
🏘️ Plans to make freehold property owners of former council houses in multiple areas of the city pay service charges have been put on hold after a backlash. Gloucester City Homes sent letters to households outlining the plans, then issued a statement alongside some FAQs attempting to clarify, then soon afterwards said it’d be pausing the plan until later in the year. - Gloucester News Centre
💰 Gloucester City Homes is having a busy week… Elsewhere, it’s been thrown a lifeline for its £50million plan to regenerate much of Podsmead with news that crucial funding worth £20million will still be available even it can’t start work in March - an initial deadline to secure the money. - Punchline Gloucester
📈 Gloucestershire County Council will raise its portion of the council tax bill by 4.99% from April. In real terms that’s a rise of £79.83 for an average band D household. - Gloucester News Centre, via the Local Democracy Reporting Service
↪️ Gloucester City Council is proposing a 2.99% rise and Gloucestershire police has approved a 4.5% hike in their portions of the precept.
⛅ Today’s weather: A wet start and a big jump in temperatures to peaks of 15C. Higher chances of rain through the middle of the day too.
👨🎓 A refugee living in Gloucester wants others to know ‘nothing is impossible’ after earning a degree while juggling his shifts as an Uber driver. Abdullahi Abdi, from Somalia, has been inspired by his brother who was killed in a terrorist attack. - BBC West
👮 Police are searching for a missing man last seen in Gloucester Docks on Tuesday evening, whose lack of contact is described as out of character. - Gloucestershire Live
🏉 Gloucester Rugby’s midfield will be boosted next season after the club announced the signing of one-cap England centre Will Joseph from Harlequins. - Gloucestershire Live
↪️ Reports suggest he’s likely to be joined by Ireland fly-half Ross Byrne, who’s said to be close to agreeing a move from Leinster. - Daily Mail
↪️ Danilo Fischetti, the 49-cap Italian international prop, is also reportedly on his way to Kingsholm from Zebre. - Gloucestershire Live
🤒 NHS services across the county are under ‘real pressure’ with high levels of flu, stomach bugs and winter illness. People are being asked to wash their hands thoroughly and keep first aid kits well stocked at home among other steps to help. - NHS Gloucestershire on Facebook
↪️ A new carers’ charter has been launched by Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, summarising what carers can expect from the Trust and how they can support. - NHS Gloucestershire
🍴 Cote Brasserie is closing its Gloucester Quays restaurant. An email to customers said ‘time is up’ for the branch after eight ‘fabulous years’. Its final day of business is this Sunday.
🔒 Police are reminding people to lock their cars after a spate of thefts from vehicles in recent weeks, particularly in Linden and St Pauls. In most cases cars were unlocked or insecure. - Your Community Alerts
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The top posts from Wednesday’s Start:
📷 New drone footage released of The Forum - The Forum
✉️ Meeting called after households get estate charges letters - Gloucester News Centre
🏘️ £50million Podsmead regeneration hangs in the balance - Gloucester News Centre