Lib Dems call for early start to the upgrading of Gloucester Railway Station

Declan Wilson and Jeremy Hilton chat to Lib Dem national leader Ed Davey MP (centre) at Gloucester Railway Station (July 2019)

On Thursday (19th Nov 2010), the city council will debate a motion being proposed by Lib Dem councillors Jeremy Hilton and Sebastian Field calling for the upgrade of Gloucester Railway Station to start on-site in the first quarter of 2021.

Earlier this year it was reported that the £4.3 million upgrade had been topped up by a further £1.7 million. Taking the total allocated to this project to £6 million.

The project will involve a major upgrade of the underpass running from Bruton Way to Great Western Road. The Lib Dems want this to be the number one priority.

Lib Dem leader, Cllr. Jeremy Hilton said: “We have been waiting ages for the railway station improvement project to start. Now it is fully funded and the partners have set up a project board, they must get on with it. We want to see construction workers on site in the first quarter of next year. The underpass upgrade must be the first priority. It’s a grotty underpass, with steep steps and feels unsafe to walk through. We have been waiting years for it to be upgraded. Let’s make 2021 the year the construction begins.”

The railway station project will also deliver a more attractive station facade, that will have its own bus stop and new exit onto Metz Way.

There will be 10 electrical vehicle charging spaces, more cycle racks, solar panels and a new canopy at the front of the station for travellers waiting to be picked up.

Cllr. Sebastian Field added: “Lib Dems want to encourage greater use of public transport. We have a new bus station and we need an upgraded railway station to complement it. We must make sure that our public transport facilities are fit for the 21^st Century.”

Lib Dem deputy leader, Cllr. Declan Wilson concluded: “Travellers by train deserve better, this project should give Gloucester a railway station to be proud of.”

Chaos at the roundabout

The original drawing of the Estcourt Road/Cheltenham Road roundabout.
The scheme is being revised.

Loads of people are complaining about the changes to the Cheltenham Road and Estcourt Road roundabout. And rightly so. It is part of the new London Road cycle route, which in principle I support. I did walk the route with the cabinet member and engineers ahead of design work. However, we started from Denmark Road and walked towards the city centre. We didn’t visit the roundabout, which is a pity. As I would NOT have recommended it laid out as they suggested.

I only got the published plans 40 minutes after a press release was issued. Despite my request 8 days before asking for the final plans. I was not happy. It’s when I got these plans that it became obvious the roundabout had been added to the scheme.

This project has been rushed through by the county council cabinet. The leader of the county council lives on Estcourt Road. Neighbouring Longlevens councillor Kathy Williams also serves in the cabinet.

I am also currently backing residents on London Road who have lost their on-street parking spaces outside their homes with very short notice. I’m also unhappy with the removal of the pedestrian refuge outside Tesco. I’m OK with two new pedestrian crossings and the reworking of the England’s Glory crossing. The reworking of the buildout outside Healey Mews looks OK, but I await feedback from the residents who live there. I’m hoping the removal of the speed camera doesn’t see an increase in traffic speeds.

Projects like this one need to be carefully considered, fully consulted on and professionally implemented. This hasn’t been done. I am told the roundabout scheme, which has only partly been implemented is under review and being revised. When I get the drawings I will post them on this website.

Gloucester Lib Dems demand hourly train services to London

Jeremy Hilton at Gloucester Railway Station, with current timetable to London

The Liberal Democrats are demanding Network Rail delivers on a commitment for hourly direct rail services to London from Gloucester.

Hourly direct services to Paddington were due to start in December 2018 but have been delayed until December 2019 at the earliest.

Councillor Jeremy Hilton, leader of Gloucester Liberal Democrats, is calling on Network Rail to deliver the hourly service as part of the forthcoming May 2019 timetable changes for the Great Western mainline.

“Hourly direct services to London from Gloucester and Cheltenham would be a real economic boost to Gloucestershire and may even encourage businesses to consider moving to the county,” Councillor Hilton said.

“They would also improve links to the capital for Gloucester’s residents.

“I understand train operator Great Western Railways is keen to run the services and I would urge Network Rail to bring forward the timetable changes to this May.”

It is understood Network Rail has delayed implementing the hourly service due to problems with the timetable changes introduced last year, particularly on the Northern and Thameslink networks.

Network Rail has written to Gloucestershire County Council to inform them that from May there will be a new weekday 9.19am service from Cheltenham to Paddington with a weekday 4.36pm service in the return direction.

Councillor Hilton added: “Already, there has been major investment in dual tracking the railway line between Kemble and Swindon. GWR has also invested in new rolling stock.

“The additional daytime service that is being launched from May is a welcome improvement but we want to see the hourly services that were due to start last year introduced.”

Sandhurst Lane – speeding motorists are a menace

Isabel Brazil & Jeremy Hilton on Sandhurst Lane near to the traffic survey point

Speeding motorists travelling on along Sandhurst Lane in Kingsholm and Wotton are a menace say local Lib Dem councillors, Jeremy Hilton and Isabel Brazil.

A survey carried out between the 16th and 22nd July by Gloucestershire County Council found that 80% of southbound motorists were speeding as they approached St. Oswald’s Road.

The survey was requested by county councillor Jeremy Hilton. It was taken at the midway point between Rivermead Close and Greville Close along the built-up section of Sandhurst Lane.

Cllr. Jeremy Hilton said: “The results confirm what many of us already knew that far too many motorists are speeding along Sandhurst Lane. They are breaking the 30mph speed limit and risking the lives of pedestrians walking on the narrow footways.

“There is a clear road safety issue here that the county council must resolve. I have asked the county traffic manager to propose a solution that will help reduce traffic speeds to below the 30mph limit.

“Even though the results suggest northbound vehicles are not breaking the limit have seen motorists accelerate aggressively as they pass by Rivermead Close.”

Cllr. Isabel Brazil agreed and said: “Speeding vehicles are a menace, particularly on a lane with narrow or non-existent footways. The county council must do something.”

Over the seven days of the survey the volume of traffic averaged out at 2,047 vehicles per day.

Southbound survey results

The survey found that 80% of southbound drivers were travelling at a speed greater than the 30mph limit. The average speed was 39mph with 85% of vehicles travelling at speeds of 47mph or less.

Northbound survey results

Only 2.5% of northbound vehicles were travelling above the 30mph speed limit. The northbound, traffic kept within the speed limits with an average speed of 21mph and with 85% of vehicles travelling at speeds of 25mph or less.

Air Pollution report published

Tackling air pollution in Gloucestershire from vehicle emissions is set to be an important priority for Gloucestershire County Council. Today the report of the air pollution task group, chaired by Cllr. Jeremy Hilton (Lib Dem Kingsholm & Wotton), is published.

According to Public Health England, poor air quality is the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK, and the Royal College of Physicians has estimated that poor air quality is responsible for 40,000 premature deaths in the UK annually.

Exposure to air pollution can affect health by contributing to the development of cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases, and can limit an individual’s quality of life.

Cllr. Jeremy Hilton said: “Public bodies in Gloucestershire need to do much more to reduce vehicle air pollution. We have a number of poor air quality hot spots in the county. Nitrogen Dioxides and particulate matter from vehicle emissions is a hazard to everyone’s health in the county. We have to take action to reduce these pollutants.

“I shall be taking the report of the air pollution task group to the Environment & Community Scrutiny Committee next week, where I hope it is approved, before it is sent on to the county cabinet on the 6^th of June.”

The report has a dozen recommendations that include the establishment of a Gloucestershire Air Quality Partnership to oversee future work. This will be helped by better air quality monitoring with a focus on particulate matter. Changes to planning policies are suggested. Highway interventions are recommended to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.

The task group wishes to encourage the greater use of electric vehicles and also to set stronger targets to increase journeys by bicycle, on foot and public transport. It wants to see the use low emissions buses etc.

Cllr Hilton concluded: “This report is just a start. I would like to that everyone who came along to the workshop we held in January and to the members of the air pollution task group that helped draft the report.”

Jeremy Hilton backs plan to resolve the Gloucester SW Bypass – ‘Missing Link’

Liberal Democrats are backing the project to upgrade the Gloucester SW Bypass near Llanthony Priory. They have said that if they win the county council elections in May they will finish the job.

The county cabinet today approved the £5m project, which will see the short section by Llanthony Priory widened and have its junctions improved. It is expected, once land purchases have been completed that construction will start in 2020.

Lib Dem county councillor and leader of Gloucester City Lib Dems, Jeremy Hilton said: “We are 100% behind the project to resolve the bottleneck along this section of the bypass. This is the unfinished section of the bypass. It’s Gloucester’s missing link.

“I am very pleased that the cabinet gave approval for the project. Not only will the project improve traffic flow along the bypass, but it should reduce vehicle movements along The Quay and Southgate Street, which motorists are using as an alternative through route.

“The cabinet member also reassured me today in answer to my questions that the listed wall to Llanthony Priory will be protected during construction and that the new junction to Sudmeadow Road should improve access for residents, businesses and the new Gloucester City Football Club stadium.”

Lib Dems call for removal of “tacky’ adverts

Liberal Democrat councillors on Gloucester City Council are to call for the removal of all adverting boards on roundabouts within the city boundaries. Jeremy Hilton and David Brown will lead a debate at the city council, when it next meets on 19^th November.

Liberal Democrats are critical that the decision to sanction the installation of advertising boards by the Tory Cabinet Member for the Environment, Cllr. Jim Porter was done without consultation with ward councillors and the local community.

Jeremy Hilton gives a thumbs down to advertising on Tewkesbury Road roundabout

Cllr. Jeremy Hilton (LD: Kingsholm & Wotton) said. “These advertising boards are blighting well kept roundabouts in Gloucester. They are visually intrusive and unnecessary. The council get a paltry £10,000 income per year from this advertising. We do not need our historic city cheapened in this way. Lib Dems are demanding that all advertising on roundabouts are removed immediately.”

Cllr. David Brown (LD: Hucclecote) who will be seconding the motion to remove the advert boards said: “A number of residents in Barnwood and Hucclecote have complained to me by email, telephone and in person.　 Most point out that adverts are designed to attract our attention and that is the last thing a driver needs when negotiating a roundabout, and I agree.　 Others say that the signs are tacky and people are concerned that even more will pop up around the area.”

Ends….

Notice of motion for full council

“This council notes with great disappointment the Cabinet Member for the Environment’s decision to sanction the installation of advertising boards on roundabouts across the city.

This council believes these advertising boards are tacky and unsightly; blighting some well kept roundabouts.

The council also believes these advertising boards could be a distraction to motorists and present an unnecessary hazard to motorcyclists.

This council, therefore, requests the Cabinet Member for the Environment to instruct officers of this council to have these advertising boards removed immediately from roundabouts within the city council boundaries.”

Proposed by Jeremy Hilton

Seconded by David Brown

Tory council blights roundabouts with advertising

Jeremy Hilton gives a thumbs down to advertising on Tewkesbury Road roundabout

The Tory controlled city council has erected advertising boards on the three roundabouts along Estcourt Road. They are also doing this across Gloucester.

The decision to install advertising boards has been questioned by Liberal Democrat councillors. It is understood that the council will get a paltry £10,000 from the advert boards across the city.

Planning approval was done, unusually, under officer-delegated powers. Normally planning applications by the council have to come to the planning committee.

Liberal Democrat councillor Jeremy Hilton (Kingsholm & Wotton) said: “The Tories have used stealth methods to get advertising boards installed. The scheme was developed with the cabinet member, who failed to take a written report to cabinet. Local councillors were not consulted by cabinet on this scheme ahead of decision to go ahead. Then planning permission was granted under officer-delegated powers.

“If the Tories get their way, the three roundabouts in question will be blighted for the next five years. They are an eyesore and a distraction for drivers. I shall be fighting to get these removed. We don’t need this tacky advertising blighting the roundabouts in Kingsholm & Wotton or the rest of Gloucester.”

It is a 30 mph limit – Tewkesbury Road

Jeremy Hilton & Mike Whyham with new 30 mph speed check signs

Advisory 30 mph speed check signs have been erected along Tewkesbury Road in Gloucester to encourage motorists to obey the speed limit. They have been installed at the request of Kingsholm & Wotton County Councillor Jeremy Hilton following complaints about motorists speeding along the road.

Jeremy Hilton said: “Tewkesbury Road is a wide road and motorists do tend to speed along it, thinking it is a 40 MPH zone, especially if they have just come off the Northern By-pass. The speed limit here is 30 MPH. The signs will remind motorists to slow down.”

Mike Whyham, who will be the candidate for the Liberal Democrats in Longlevens said: “Local residents have been worried about traffic speed along Tewkesbury Road for some time and the difficultly this places on pedestrians trying to cross the road. I am very pleased that Gloucestershire Highways listened to our request and put up the speed check signs.”