⏩ The Gloucester Start: Wednesday February 5th
Leisure centres losing money | 'Greater Gloucester' call | Fake cigs seized
Good morning, welcome to Wednesday’s Start. We’re at edition number 44 of this daily run-down and pushing towards 400 subscribers. Thank you for following and do keep the word spreading if you can. Here’s today’s bulletin.
📉 Freedom Leisure, the non-profit which took on the running of GL1 and Oxstalls Sports Park after the collapse of Aspire, is still losing money 12 months on. It’s £270,000 in deficit after investing in the centres, but there’s ‘no risk’ to the council. - BBC Gloucestershire
💔 The leader of Gloucester City Council, Jeremy Hilton, says the city can’t be separated from its immediate surrounding areas in any breaking up of local authorities as part of devolution plans. He’s called for the establishment of a ‘Greater Gloucester’ or a unitary authority. - Gloucester News Centre
☀️ Today’s weather: Bright, dry and sunny for much of the day, temperatures hitting 8C.
🍹 A new bar opens in Southgate Street next weekend. Harveys Bar, at the New County Hotel, launches on February 15th. Staff are still needed too. - Gloucester BID
🎒 Al-Ashraf Secondary School for Girls is turning things around after an Ofsted inspection found it needed to make improvements in several areas. The independent school, in Sinope Street, was visited again in December after April’s initial findings and has been praised for taking action. - Gloucestershire Live
🚫 Closures on the Air Balloon roundabout have been brought forward after the recent wet weather. A 12-mile overnight diversion will be in place on two nights this week - Thursday into Friday and Friday into Saturday. - BBC Gloucestershire
❌ Counterfeit cigarettes were seized at a shop in Barton Street which police and Trading Standards have applied to have shut down. An abandoned car linked with the business was also removed. - Gloucester Neighbourhood Policing Team
💷 Gloucestershire police’s portion of the council tax bill will rise by 4.5% from April, a £14-a-year rise for an average Band D household in the county. - BBC Gloucestershire
👮 A missing 15-year-old girl from Gloucester is believed to have travelled to London. Elizabeth was last seen in Brockworth on Sunday and police are attempting to find her. - Gloucestershire Live
🚔 More than 100 motorists were arrested for drink- or drug-driving offences in a police crackdown over Christmas, with several now due to appear in court. - Gloucestershire Live
🚨 Crime alerts
Lots of vehicle crime has been reported lately via Your Community Alerts:
Burglary of a business premises in St Catherine Street where the front door was smashed to gain entry between 1pm on February 3rd and 5am on the 4th
A Volvo was entered in New Street, with cash and bank cards taken, between February 2nd and 3rd
A Vauxhall Crossland was entered in Kitchener Avenue, with cash stolen from inside, between February 1st and 3rd
A Kia Sportage was entered in Bristol Road and bank cards were stolen from inside between 8pm on February 2nd and 7am on the 3rd
A Hyundai Tucson was entered in Henley Place and a black body warmer was stolen from inside between 3pm on February 2nd and 1pm on February 3rd
A silver 125cc Honda motorcycle was stolen from Mark Street between 7.30am on February 3rd and 7am on the 4th
A Vauxhall Astra was entered in St Pauls Road and a Kurt Geiger handbag stolen, between 3pm on February 1st and 11am on February 2nd
A Volvo was entered in New Street and cash and a drivers licence stolen some time before February 2nd
The top posts from Tuesday’s Start:
🚯 Flytipper fined almost £500 after night in custody - Gloucester City Council
🗳️ Council cabinet member takes leave of absence - Gloucester News Centre
📺 New TV channel promises ‘unflitered, unbiased’ discussion for county - GLive TV
We also asked you yesterday if residents were right to be annoyed that a private field backing onto their gardens has been fenced off by owners the University of Gloucestershire. Here’s what you said 👇
