⏩ The Gloucester Start: Thursday November 28th
Murder plea | HMO power plan | Football fans scrap
Hi again. It’s day 4 of The Gloucester Start being a thing and you early adopters are worth every word. Give us a share and spread the knowledge would you?
🏪 Gloucester’s old Poundstretcher, empty for years, is to become city centre flats. The Westgate Street building was historically a theatre, then a Woolworths, before most recently housing the discount retailer. Plans have been signed off to convert the upper floors into flats and the ground floor into a lobby. - Punchline Gloucester
⚖️ A man has pleaded guilty to murdering a care worker in Tredworth. Tanaka Zivania, 32, appeared at Bristol Crown Court via video link from prison on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to murdering Zanele Sibanda, 28, and possession of a blade in public. He’ll be sentenced on January 14th. - BBC Gloucestershire and others
🏠 Gloucester City Council wants extra government powers to control the number of HMOs. HMOs - Houses of Multiple Occupation - number about 500 in Gloucester and have caused concerns about parking, rubbish collection and their impact on communities. The council could apply for the power to require planning permission for homes with three or more tenants - currently it’s only needed for seven or more. - BBC Gloucestershire
🌫️ Today’s weather: There’s a weather warning for fog in place until 11am, but dry and bright other than that. Temperatures between 3C and 6C most of the day.
🦷 DIY dentistry is on the rise and Gloucester’s MP is among those calling for reform. Alex McIntyre spoke in Parliament to call for change as analysis found two in five people in Gloucester face significant delays seeing a dentist and many struggle to see an NHS one at all. - Gloucestershire Live
⚽ Football fans scrapped on the sidelines of a Tuffley Rovers match, ending with two men in their forties being arrested. Police said two men aimed punches at another man, causing facial injuries. Tuffley were playing Lydney Town, winning 7-3. - Gloucestershire Live
🪴Garden centre Dobbies will close its Gloucester branch, and 15 others, before Christmas. The closure plans were announced last month and now the company has now confirmed the final day’s trading for the centre is December 15th. - Gloucester News Centre and others
🚨 Teenage would-be robbers armed with a knife chased an e-bike rider in Kingsway. The rider managed to get away with only a tear in their coat but police want to find the group. - Gloucestershire Live
This is a shorter-than-usual Start today - what have we missed? Drop us a comment if there’s anything you’ve seen we should be including.