Half Term Activities October 2026

Press release from Gloucestershire County Council:

Gloucestershire County Council is organising a countywide programme that provides children and young people with opportunities to enjoy healthy meals and stay active and entertained during the school holidays for free.

Running from 24 October to 1 November, the programme includes activities such as sports, outdoor adventures, creative arts and crafts, community play sessions, wellbeing opportunities and other enriching experiences designed to support children and families outside of term time.

All children and young people living in the county can take part, regardless of their circumstances. There are no eligibility requirements for these half-term activities, which remains separate from the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.

Food support and activities can be booked through Gloucestershire’s Virtual Family Hub.  Booking is essential as spaces are limited. Some providers will be managing bookings through their own websites or booking systems and should be contacted directly if an activity isn’t listed on the hub.

Editor’s note: Check out what they have to offer, with activities taking place nearby in Bourton, Moreton, and Cirencester – although unfortunately nothing in Northleach itself this time around.

Road Closure of Fortey Road, Northleach, From 30 Nov To 24 Dec 2026

Notice from Gloucestershire Highways:

Please be advised of the following closure:

  • Fortey Road, Northleach

This road will be closed (as per the attached plan) on 30/11/2026 to 24/12/2026 to allow for footpath resurfacing work by Gloucestershire Highways.

Emergency and pedestrian access will be maintained.

If you should require further information please email streetworks@gloucestershire.gov.uk.

Fortey Road, Northleach Map CO1422

Fortey Road Northleach letter

Ash Die Back Works on A429 Fosseway, 14-18 Sept 2026

Information from Gloucestershire County Council:

Ref: 43116096

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Ash Dieback

Dear Sir/Madam

  • What: Temporary Traffic Order to close the road for essential Ash Dieback tree work.
  • Where: A429 Fosseway – from A436 Old Gloucester Road Jct to A40 Jct near Northleach (see the attached for details of the exact location)
  • When: 14–18th September 2026 inclusive – from 09.30 to 15.30 daily

On behalf of Gloucestershire County Council, we advise you that we are due to be conducting essential work at the above location to remove unsafe trees infected with Ash Dieback.

Ash Dieback disease causes Ash trees to become unsafe; trees could shed limbs or collapse on to the road causing harm and injury. This work must take place for health and safety reasons, to protect road users and pedestrians, and make sure the carriageway remains clear of debris.

If you have any queries, please refer to the letter attached to this email, the Frequently Asked Questions on our website, Ash Dieback Road Closure FAQ/Highways, contact us on 08000 514514 or email AshDieback@gloucestershire.gov.uk.

Thank you in advance for your patience and co-operation.

Ash Dieback Officer
Gloucestershire County Council

Letter (B) – A429 from A436 Jct to A40 Jct

Have Your Say On Proposed Changes To Fire Service Cover in Gloucestershire

Press release from Gloucestershire County Council:

The ‘shaping a safer county’ consultation is asking the public, stakeholders and workforce for their views on proposals to redeploy existing resources into creating a wholetime day-crewed model in Cinderford.

This would strengthen fire cover in the Forest of Dean and make the best use of existing resources across the county.

The proposals are based on independent analysis and data modelling which concluded that providing a day crew at Cinderford would deliver significant operational and community safety benefits. These would include faster response times, increased fire prevention work and a stronger presence in the community.

Data modelling has shown that due to a combination of overlapping response coverage, the proximity of neighbouring stations and lower overnight demand, resources would be better placed as Cinderford during the day, rather than Cheltenham West during the night.

Cheltenham West would retain a wholetime day crew under the plans and Cheltenham East remains as 24 hour cover.

The proposals also respond to financial pressures facing Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service. As part of the council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy, the service is required to deliver savings of £827,000 over the next four years. The recommended option would achieve these savings by redeploying existing resources rather than creating new posts, allowing investment to be focused where it can have the greatest impact.

The consultation closes on Monday 28 September. Please read the background information on the GFRS website and within the consultation brochure.

Take the Survey

Or, you can download the questionnaire, print it and return it to:

GFRS Consultation
Opinion Research Services,
Freepost SS1018
POBox 530
Swansea
SA1 1ZL

If you have any questions, would like this information in a different format, or want to find out more, please contact us at firecoverreview@glosfire.gov.uk or by calling 01452 427554.

No changes to fire cover optimisation will be taken until the public consultation has been concluded and further cabinet approval.

Government Announces A Single Unitary Council To Be Created in Gloucestershire

Announcement from Future Gloucestershire:

The Government has today announced its decision on the future structure of local government in Gloucestershire.

The decision is to create a single unitary council, which will replace existing county, city, district and borough councils on 1 April 2028.

The Government has said that the single unitary option best met the criteria. This was particularly the case in three respects: it provides a sensible geography for economic growth and housing, it is easier to deliver joined up public services, and a good platform for community empowerment.

More detail on the rationale will be available shortly in this letter from the Secretary of State, who made the announcement in the House of Commons on 16 July 2026.

At this stage, there will be no changes to council services which will be delivered as normal. Residents should continue to access these services in the way they normally would.

In recent months, our councils have been working very well together, preparing to deliver on the government’s decision. That work will continue while we get into the detail of the decision and exactly how it will be implemented, with full focus on ensuring the best outcomes for our local communities.

While our councils adopted their own position regarding the best future structure of local government in Gloucestershire, we are united in our commitment to the people and communities we serve. Our shared priority has always been to ensure that residents and businesses continue to receive the services they rely on, and that those services are delivered to the very highest standard.

We recognise that while this decision brings a degree of clarity about the future of local government in Gloucestershire, it will also raise further questions that we are not yet able to answer.

We are still at an early stage in this process. The new council needs to be created legally. Then there will be elections to a shadow authority on 6 May 2027 which will make the key decisions related to the creation of the new council. The new council will be effective from 1 April 2028.

Throughout this process, our seven councils remain committed to keeping residents, staff and partners fully informed and will share more information as it becomes available.

Ash Dieback Works A429 Cirencester to Northleach, 20-31 July 2026

Residents letter-(b)-a429-cirencester-to-northleach

Ref: 43116321
Friday, June 19, 2026

Ash Dieback – in collaboration with National Grid

Dear Sir/Madam

What: Temporary Traffic Order to close the road for essential Ash Dieback tree work.
Where: A429 – Cirencester to Northleach (see overleaf for details of the exact location)
When: 20-31 July 2026 inclusive (excluding weekends) from 09.30 to 15.30 daily.

On behalf of Gloucestershire County Council, we advise you that we are due to be conducting essential work at the above location to remove unsafe trees infected with Ash Dieback.

Ash Dieback disease causes Ash trees to become unsafe; trees could shed limbs or collapse on to the road causing harm and injury. This work must take place for health and safety reasons, to protect road users and pedestrians, and make sure the carriageway remains clear of debris.

ROAD CLOSURE – As part of our Ash Dieback project, we will be conducting essential tree works at the above location for health and safety reasons, to protect users of our Highways and County Council land. To ensure the safety of you and of our workforce, we have, under Sections 14, 15 & 16 of the Road Traffic Act 1984 as amended, made a Temporary Traffic Order to close the road.

Due to the type of activities required with tree felling and maintenance works, road closures can cover an area greater than where work is taking place. This is to allow safe movement and placement of machinery and material.

We appreciate road closures are inconvenient, but it is necessary to keep you and the team working on the road safe. We have planned the work so we can be in and out as quickly as possible and have tried to do it within a period that will minimise any inconvenience.

ACCESS – In accordance with the Temporary Traffic Order, we are not permitted to allow any person or vehicle to proceed along the closed roads; the exception being emergency vehicles or statutory undertakers responding to an emergency. We will endeavor to always keep the public foot path open, if it is necessary to close it at any point it will be for a limited time and fully supervised by our trained banks man.

******During this period, 20-31st July 2026 inclusive, there will be NO THROUGH ACCESS from Cirencester to Northleach using A429. Essential Ash Dieback work is to be completed between Cirencester and C155 Jct – road from Fosse Cross to Calmsden.

The closure points are continually supervised by our fully trained banks man. Once on site, our workforce Supervisor will communicate with residents who are directly affected by the essential Ash Dieback works, living within the designated cutting areas/hard closure, as indicated in black on the map. NO though traffic will be given access at this point. Access for residents, deliveries and for access to frontages will only be permitted where it does NOT impact on our ability to conduct the work as required and only where it is safe to do so. Any access during this time would be at the driver’s own risk as it is a works site. Therefore, if you normally drive into or out of this area during the hours when the road closure is in place, we ask you to please make alternative arrangements. Access is permissible into the ‘soft closure’ area for accessing frontages and businesses. This is the road leading up to the actual cutting area as indicated in red on the map. Closure times are between
09:30 – 15:30 daily.

DIVERSIONS – We have created an official diversion route which will be signposted and is suitable for all vehicles that would normally use the closed ‘class A’ road. This is indicated in blue on the map. We appreciate you may know an alternative route, however, please be aware that alternative routes which are outside of the road closure area are used at driver’s discretion and own risk. Below is the map showing the extents of road closure.