Extra £15m funding set to transform Gloucestershire’s highways

Gloucestershire County Council is set to allocate an additional £15 million to road repairs and resurfacing next year under the Liberal Democrats’ proposed budget.

The authority, based at Shire Hall, oversees around 3,372 miles of highways across the county. Council leader Lisa Spivey (LD, South Cerney) said the extra investment forms part of the party’s commitment to honouring the promises made during the recent election campaign.

For the coming financial year, the council’s revenue budget is expected to reach around £697 million, covering essential local services. According to Cllr Spivey, the plans include expanding support for vulnerable residents, delivering on environmental and climate commitments, and providing strong investment in the local economy.

“We live in really challenging times in local government but we are pleased with what we think will be a really good budget for Gloucestershire,” she said.

“Certainly for our new Liberal Democrat administration, we are delivering on those manifesto pledges which we have put into our council strategy for the next few years.

“We have created enough headroom to be able to deliver on things we care about without pulling back on services.

“Making sure we keep that investment in new care homes, new special schools, that we are creating a virtual social care academy so carers both paid and unpaid can access skills, training and learning they need.”

The draft budget will go before Cabinet on December 3, after which a public consultation will run until early January.

“We have a long-term plan for our area which will put the council on a stable footing and invest in the services people rely on – better care, better roads and a stronger and greener local economy,” Cllr Spivey said.

She added: “Our budget restores stability to the council’s finances. We inherited a £17 million black hole from the previous Conservative administration and have been working hard to ensure we close this gap while still investing in the issues that matter to residents.

“We are increasing support for vulnerable people, including investment in three new care homes and three new special schools. These are services families rely on every single day.

“We are fulfilling our pledge to fix our roads with a £15 million investment.

“We are combatting climate change and supporting the environment through our nature recovery strategy and cutting emissions from transport.

“We are backing the local economy, supporting skills, and making decisions that deliver long-term financial stability.

“The message of this budget is clear. Investment into infrastructure and people to ensure a thriving local economy. We have closed the gap left by the Conservatives and will continue our hard work to ensure Gloucestershire is the best it can be.”

However, Conservative group leader Stephen Davies (C, Hardwicke and Severn) raised concerns about the figures. He said he did not recognise the shortfall mentioned by the Liberal Democrats, claiming it was not one that “officers have been unable to verify.”

“There was a £10m savings target, which is 1.5 per cent of the overall budget which we had a plan for,” he said.

“This is what Liberal Democrats do, they over promise and blame everyone else for their failings.”