The Environment Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to meet on Wednesday 5 November 2025, to discuss the Gloucestershire climate change strategy, verge management and grass cutting, and the executive director's report on the economy, environment, and infrastructure. The committee was also scheduled to review its work plan and to note an update report from Climate Leadership Gloucestershire.

Gloucestershire Climate Change Strategy Annual Report

The committee was scheduled to consider the Gloucestershire Climate Change Strategy Annual Report. The report noted that local authorities account for only 2–5% of UK emissions through their own operations, and that Gloucestershire County Council is focusing on reducing emissions across the entire county to achieve its goal of becoming a net zero county by 2045.

The report stated that Gloucestershire's emissions are just over 5 tonnes of CO₂e per person, totalling 3,329 ktCO₂e in 2023, and that 70% of emissions in Gloucestershire can be attributed to individuals, with half of Gloucestershire's emissions coming from food and drink, transport fuel and heating homes.

The report also noted a number of actions being taken to reduce emissions across the county, including:

• Supporting all of Climate Leadership Gloucestershire's priority themes.
• Cutting transport emissions through active travel, improved bus services, EV infrastructure, and behaviour change programs.
• Funding anti-idling campaigns, school air quality monitors, and particulate matter monitoring across districts.
• Supporting businesses with carbon audits, tailored guidance, and events on sustainability through the Growth Hub's Net Zero Service.
• Achieving a 53.2% recycling rate in 2024/25, supported by initiatives like the Real Nappy Project, Master Composters, Libraries of Things, Repair Cafés, and food waste reduction campaigns.
• Focusing community engagement on waste reduction, biodiversity, transport, and community grants.
• Developing the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, supporting Biodiversity Week, reduced verge mowing and natural flood management schemes.
• Sourcing 100% renewable electricity and investing Salix funding in LED street lighting and solar PV installations on council buildings.
• Transitioning its fleet to electric vehicles and hybrids, and switching to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) for remaining diesel vehicles.
• Developing a staff travel plan using Modeshift Stars.

The report included a foreword by Councillor Martin Horwood, Cabinet lead for nature, climate and waste reduction, who stated:

“We know climate change is an urgent threat. While much more needs to be done, the progress we report here shows that if we embed climate action into everything we do we can create a cleaner, healthier, happier, safer and more hopeful future in Gloucestershire for generations to come."

The report also included a case study on Gamage Hall Farm, a 180 acre Gloucestershire County Council mixed holding in Dymock, which specialises in rearing Aberdeen Angus cattle for both breeding and meat.

Verge Management and Grass Cutting

The committee was scheduled to receive an overview of the county's verge management and grass cutting in Spring/Summer 2025. The report stated that verge management plays a vital role in maintaining a safe, functional, and environmentally responsible highway network, ensuring road safety, supporting biodiversity, protecting infrastructure, and enhancing the visual appeal of communities.

The council's verge management programme includes scheduled and reactive grass cutting, weed control, hedge and tree maintenance, as well as proactive management of ash dieback disease.

Grass cutting is carried out in two main phases each year: a safety cut, focused on junctions, bends, dual carriageways, and visibility splays, and a full cut, which includes the safety areas plus a single swathe width along most roads. The council supports the No Mow May initiative and only undertakes its safety cut within this month.

The council has developed biodiversity guidance in collaboration with the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and the County Council's ecology team, including the Conservation Road Verge register, which identifies highway verge sites of ecological importance, including those designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

Weed control is carried out on a risk-based approach, targeting noxious species such as Ragwort, Japanese Knotweed, and Giant Hogweed. Routine weed treatment is no longer standard practice but can be funded through local councillor budgets if required, and does not use glyphosate¹.

Hedge cutting is typically the responsibility of adjacent landowners. When Gloucestershire County Council undertakes hedge cutting, it is done mechanically between September and February to maintain visibility and reduce encroachment onto the carriageway.

Tree management is guided by the council's Tree Inspection Policy. The council aims to balance safety with the preservation of arboricultural value. Ash die-back is now affecting Gloucestershire, and the council is using a risk-based approach to determine which locations should be addressed more urgently.

Responsibility for some verge management, typically grass cutting, is shared across different tiers of local government. Some parish and town councils receive funding for two cuts per year. Cheltenham Borough and Gloucester City operate under agency agreements, with up to five grass cuts per year funded.

Verge management is funded through the Environmental Maintenance budget, which totals £1.075 million.

The council has trialled several different verge management options, including Yellow Rattle, cut and collect, and wildflower planting.

The report noted that safety remains the council's highest priority, and that climate change is also a growing concern, with weather patterns changing and affecting vegetation growth and fire risk.

Executive Director's Report: Economy, Environment & Infrastructure

The committee was scheduled to note the Executive Director's Report: Economy, Environment & Infrastructure.

The report provided information regarding progress and proposals for each of the areas within Economy, Environment & Infrastructure.

Items mentioned in the report included:

• M5 J10. The J10/A4019/Link Road Development Consent Order has been approved. A request for a £71.5m funding is being considered by Homes England.
• Local Major Projects - Gloucestershire Cycle Spine. A435 Cheltenham to Bishops Cleeve Phase 2.1 (Railway Bridge to Bishops Cleeve) began earlier in 2025. Phase 2.2 (Racecourse Roundabout to Railway Bridge) commenced in May 2025.
• Major Projects - Structures/Geotechnical. A40 London Road, Charlton Kings – structural collapse of the bridge face. Works commenced in September.
• Highways Contracts/Delivery. Term maintenance (Ringway) Extension awarded until March 2031. Professional services (WSP) Contract started in April 2025. Street lighting (M Group) Contract started in August 2025.
• Definitive Map Modification Orders (DMMO). The government announced in December 2024 its intention to repeal the 2031 cut-off for applications.
• Public and School Transport. The council has been able to negotiate the funding by Thames Water of a shuttle bus for Bibury which will be cut off from public transport due to road closures.
• Road Safety Partnership, ThinkTravel, Electric Vehicles and Parking Road Safety and Community Speedwatch (CSW). Remaining Vehicle Activated and speed camera signs on entrances to villages to highlight that the area is being monitored by speed cameras will be implemented in autumn 2025.
• Average Speed Cameras. Average speed enforcement cameras have been installed on the A436 between Seven Springs and Shipton, and on the A46 between Stroud and Painswick along with a reduction in the speed limit from 50 to 40mph.
• Thinktravel Service. 12 schools have been successfully onboarded and now have accredited Travel Plans across rural and urban settings.
• ATE Capability Programme and e-micromobility updates. Love to Ride Cycle September, saw its biggest impact yet. VOI scooters have saved an estimated 5,661kg CO2.
• Pedal-Eazy loan scheme. Since the scheme began in September 2024 there have been 126 hires of the Pedal Eazy bikes in 12 months.
• Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging. In the first phase (ORCS - On street residential charge point scheme) 33 locations with 128 charge points installed.
• Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs). TROs to reduce KSIs are being prioritised.
• Traffic Engineering. The Hatherley Safer Streets project, featuring improvements to support walking and cycling to schools and a 20mph speed limit was completed in March.
• City Region Board. At November's Board meeting members will be asked to agree the draft Local Growth Plan.
• Digital – Connecting Gloucestershire. Gloucestershire County Council's new Digital Infrastructure, Inclusion and Innovation Strategy launched its six-week public engagement on the 8 September 2025.
• M5 Junction 9 and A46 (Ashchurch). A public engagement exercise took place from 7th October to 2nd December 2024.
• Local Transport Plan (LTP). The LTP was adopted at Full Council on 17th March 2021. A review of the LTP is currently being considered.
• Waste Local Plan (WLP). A new WLP is currently being prepared. A public consultation is due to start in 2026.
• Mass Rapid Transit. Further Cabinet report on 3rd November 2025.
• Local Plans / SLP / CIL / NPPF. Review of the Cheltenham / Gloucester / Tewkesbury Strategic and Local Plan (formerly known as the Joint Strategic Plan) now underway.
• Libraries. City Campus is looking like a library now with shelves, books and PCs. Brunswick Road (old Gloucester Library) has closed to the public and staff are moving across and getting used to the space.
• Registration. Recruitment for a Registration Service Manager is in progress.
• Sustainability/Climate Change. The council continues to monitor and evaluate the outcomes of the awarded community grants.
• Employment and Skills. The workshops and surveys have been completed and work continues on the Get Gloucestershire Working Plan with the aim of submission and publication by end of October.
• Social Value. Partnership with whatimpact approved and officially launched.
• Adult Education Service. New academic year has begun with good learner numbers across all delivery areas.
• Employment & Skills Hub. The council celebrated its 4000th referral into the Hub.
• Connect to Work. Connect to Work has started well and the council has had two visits from its DWP performance manager who is happy with the progression.

Work Plan

The committee was scheduled to review its work plan and suggest items for consideration at future meetings.

The following themes were suggested for future meetings:

• Climate Change
• Highways
• Waste
• Parking plan
• Air pollution
• Renewable Energy
• Public Transport
• Transport
• Active travel
• Road Safety
• Planning
• Misc

Climate Leadership Gloucestershire

The committee was scheduled to note the attached update report from Climate Leadership Gloucestershire.

The report included notes and actions of the meeting held in June 2025.

The following partners were in attendance:

• Cheltenham Borough Council
• Cotswold District Council
• Forest of Dean District Council
• Gloucester City Council
• Gloucestershire County Council
• Stroud District Council
• Tewkesbury Borough Council
• Hospitals Trusts
• Universities
• Gloucestershire Local Nature Partnership
• Gloucestershire Youth Climate Group

The meeting included a presentation of the draft Gloucestershire Food & Farming for Net Zero report action plan, and an update on the Local Nature Recovery Strategy development, land use framework, and sequestration actions.