Schemes making up the authority’s proposed 3 year £102m Capital Programme include:
£47.2m on transport and highways, including constructing a major part of the North Fringe to Hengrove rapid transit system and continuing to invest an extra £2m in road resurfacing;
£29.7m in schools, including building a new £5.4m primary school at Cheswick Village (adjacent to UWE’s Frenchay campus), and remodelling/refurbishment works worth almost £2m at Wick School and £3.5m at Hambrook School - all of which will start this year;
£8.4m in adult social care, including £3.9m to install home disability adaptations and £3m in new extra care housing schemes;
£3.1m in energy-saving improvements and renewable energy schemes in homes, schools and council buildings;
£2.9m in superfast broadband which will reach almost all premises across the district and help close the ‘digital divide’;
£2m to provide flagship community facilities in Cadbury Heath to strengthen the Big Society in one of the council’s ‘Priority Neighbourhoods’.
Cllr John Goddard, Conservative Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources, said:
“This is a really exciting vision because it’s about investing in the future and demonstrating a real ambition for South Gloucestershire.
In line with our new Sustainable Community Strategy, these investment priorities are about responding to the new opportunities and challenges presented by local and national policy and socio-economic changes - from caring for our older generation through to raising aspirations amongst our younger generation.
Delivering these investment priorities will strengthen the foundations of our local economy, provide a solid basis for sustainable growth going forward and maintaining the area as ‘a great place to live and work’.”
In addition to the council’s proposed capital programme investment, a £19.2m rebuilding of Winterbourne International Academy is also planned, which is government-funded.
A full Cabinet report on these capital projects has been published on the Council’s website today (Friday 27th January). The Cabinet meeting will be held on Monday 6th February with the final sign off expected at the Budget Full Council meeting being held on Wednesday 22nd February.