⏩ The Gloucester Start: Tuesday April 29th
GL1 to get improvements | Housing plan rejected | Comic-Con coming
Good morning, welcome to Tuesday’s Start (and an April heatwave). There’s nearly 600 of you signed up to these bulletins now and if you’re finding them useful then a quick share or a recommendation to a friend makes a massive difference. Here’s what I’ve been able to find for today’s edition.
☀️ Today’s weather: A bit of a belter. Hot and sunny all day.
🌊 This - and several other new features - is what’s set to greet families using GL1 Leisure Centre once an enhancement programme by operators Freedom Leisure has been completed. It includes a new family friendly interactive climbing wall and a brand-new soft play area, plus new water play features as imagined above. - Freedom Leisure
↪️ Improvements totalling £8million to GL1 and Oxstalls Sports Park were signed off by the city council last autumn. - BBC Gloucestershire (from September)
↪️ Freedom Leisure also operates the brand new Blackbridge Sports and Community Hub in Podsmead, which had its official opening ceremony yesterday. - Freedom Leisure
👎 Plans that would have turned the former Hatherley Road Day Centre in Tredworth into 26 homes and a community workspace have been rejected. The proposal ‘failed to represent the local context’, according to a council report. - Punchline Gloucester
🏨 There’s more coverage of the planning applications linked to in yesterday’s Start for a new hotel and flats at the former Ecclesiastical offices in Brunswick Road, via Gloucestershire Live, and to turn a former data centre in Llanthony Road into a cafe and superstore, via Punchline Gloucester.
🍛 Indian street food is coming to Westgate Street with the opening of a new eatery. Bom-Bai Boyss is going into the former Knobbly Cob unit but hasn’t yet said when it’s opening 👇
💥 Comic-Con is coming to Gloucester on May 10th, with Tracy Beaker star Dani Harmer leading the line-up. Gaming zones, collectibles and an array of costumes can also be expected when it lands at GL1 Leisure Centre. - Gloucestershire Live
🚨 Public order offences numbered more than 600 in central Gloucester last year, the highest in the county. Analysis of police reports found how many incidents are being reported in policing neighbourhoods all over the country. - Gloucestershire Live
🗳️ Election watch
🗳️ Gloucestershire County Council’s elections take place this Thursday, May 1st:
See who’s standing where you live using your postcode - Who Can I Vote For
Not sure where your polling station is? Find it here
🤞 Who’s promising what? Interviews with representatives of the main parties fielding candidates by community journalist Will Luker are a good place to start. His interview with Alastair Chambers, representing numerous independent candidates is the latest to be published. You can also find his pieces with the Liberal Democrats, Reform, Conservatives and Greens already published, and keep an eye on his Substack for more coverage before Thursday.
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📌 Micro-pub The Drunken Duck, in Bull Lane, is having a tap takeover this bank holiday weekend with a raft of special guest ales from Lune Brew and The Accidental Brewery on offer. More here. - Thanks to subscriber Emily for this submission
📅 Things to do today and tomorrow
📽️ Four Mothers, Mr Burton and A Minecraft Movie showing at Sherborne Cinema | Various times | £6/£7 | Details
📣 Banned Bandito open mic poetry at The Dick Whittington | Tuesday, 8pm | Free | Details
🎨 Creative Welcome Space at City Works, Alfred Street | Wednesday, 10am-2pm | Free | Details
🪴 Gardening for Wellbeing at Gloucester Cathedral | Wednesday, 11.30am-2.30pm | Free | Details
🎸 Luke Austin Live at Cafe Rene | Wednesday, 9pm | Free | Details
The top posts from Monday’s Start:
🏗️ Planning application to turn former data centre into cafe and superstore near Quays
🏋️♀️ Blackbridge Community and Sports Hub opens in Podsmead
🅿️ Peel Centre customer questions £100 fine for 17-minute overstay