Lib Dems call for action over fly-tipping at former Colwell Grammar School

A Gloucester councillor is calling for urgent action to clear fly-tipped rubbish at a former school and progress plans for the disused site.

Mattresses, furniture, doors and piles of other waste have accumulated beside the former Colwell Grammar School in Derby Road – and even a caravan.

There is so much rubbish dumped there that some of it is spilling out over the pavement of the adjacent Colwell School Close, causing concern about the condition of the site and its impact on the surrounding area.

The former school has stood empty for over the decade and parts of the building have also fallen into a poor state of repair.

A planning application to convert the disused building into flats was submitted in 2022, with amended plans submitted in 2023 and consultations continuing into this year.

However, no decision has yet been made on whether planning permission will be granted for the redevelopment, leaving the future of the site uncertain.

Local Liberal Democrats say the immediate priority must be to remove the accumulated waste, but are also calling for renewed efforts to resolve the long-running planning application.

Councillor Usman Bhaimia, who represents Barton and Tredworth on the city council, said: “The state of this site is appalling and completely unacceptable. Residents deserve better than a derelict building surrounded by rubbish.

“The sheer amount of waste that has accumulated is shocking, and some of it is now spilling out towards the pavement. It needs to be dealt with before the situation gets any worse.

“We are asking the relevant authorities and the owner to work together to get the waste removed, prevent further fly-tipping and investigate who is responsible.

“But clearing the rubbish only deals with the immediate problem. We also need to address the longer-term future of a building which has been sitting empty and deteriorating.

“We want to see progress on the planning application. Four years after it was submitted, there is still no decision.

“We need clarity about what remains outstanding, what needs to happen next and how the application can finally be brought to a determination.

“Leaving a prominent site like this in limbo for years benefits nobody. Residents need to know there is a clear plan for its future.”

The Liberal Democrats are urging anyone with information about the fly-tipping to report it to Gloucester City Council.