Key Achievements

Conservative City Council Key Achievements Since 2004

·        Re-opened the Folk Museum after it was closed by the previous administration.

·        Repaid £10 million of debt inherited from Lib-Lab administration.

·        Kept council tax rises down – an average of less than 3% a year against 10% a year average for the previous 10 years when the other parties ran the Council.

·        Recycling rate increased from 7% to 50%.  Green box recycling extended across the whole city, plastic bottles and card now collected and separate food waste collection.

·        Delivered on regeneration

  • -          St Oswalds Park
  • -          Docks warehouses restored and new public spaces created
  • -          Gloucester Park transformed
  • -          Gloucester Quays phase one opened
  • -          Interim works carried out in Kings Square
  • -          Linkages work between Gloucester Quays and the city centre near completion
  • -          Negotiations taking place with developers for Kings Quarter and the Railway Triangle

·        Gloucester City Homes 3-star rating and £40m of investment in “Decent Homes”.

·        Level of new affordable housing units delivered consistently higher than the previous administration – 275 in 2008/9, 226 in 2009/10 against 50 in the last year of the previous administration.

·        £1 million museum refurbishment project underway.

·        Leadership through the floods of 2007 and over 60 flood alleviation schemes undertaken since.

·        Tall Ships Festival held in 2007, 2009 and will be held in 2011.

·        Christmas activities increased –new lights, switch-on procession, Victorian market.

·        New outdoor market and car boot site opened at Hempsted Meadows, with more events now taking place there.

·        Creation of Marketing Gloucester to promote the city.

·        Creation of Aspire Leisure Trust to manage GL1 and Tennis Centre.

·        £250,000 set aside for improvements to the Blackbridge athletics track.

·        Helped Gloucester City Football Club to return home to the City.  Planning application now submitted.

·        Establishment of streetcare partnership with Enterprise.

·        Restructured the organisation to take out excessive management and reduce costs.

·        Climate change strategy approved and being implemented – combined heat and power at GL1, electric car, plan for wind turbine at Alney Island.

·        Restoration of historic buildings -  66 Westgate Street (former Teapots) with Council grant, Robert Raikes House, St Michael’s Tower, St Owalds Priory, Trust set up for Llanthony Priory.

·        Major investment in street furniture, new dog and litter bins.

·        Major investment in play areas across the city – over £1 million spent on over 20 sites.