2016 was a year of the unexpected – the Brexit vote, Donald Trump’s election victory, Leicester winning football’s Premiership, and Ed Balls defying the judges week after week on Strictly.

My hope for Gloucester in 2017 is that it is the year when things start to come together. We all get frustrated from time to time that things take longer than expected, but that’s life. 2017, I believe, will be the year when we move from the planning to the delivery phase for a number of projects.

Firstly, our new waste and recycling service. The Council has invested over £2 million in new vehicles to enable the collection of cardboard, mixed plastics and textiles from the week commencing 16th January. This will make recycling easier and should push our recycling rate above 50%.

The 21st century facility the city deserves
In regeneration terms, we will see the new bus station rise out of the ground when highway works and utility service diversions have been completed, giving us the 21st century facility the city deserves. Bakers Quay will finally start to be transformed after a near twenty year wait, and the former Kwik Save site will become affordable housing after a decade of dereliction. Work will also move ahead at Meadow Park to finally bring home Gloucester City FC after too long in the wilderness. The plans for Kings Quarter will advance with a detailed planning application and we will settle on the future of the former Fleece Hotel site, having completed archaeology and site investigation works during 2016.

Celebrating the community spirit that triumphed in the face of adversity
The Joint Core Strategy, setting out development plans for Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury to 2031, should finally be adopted. And we will mark the tenth anniversary of the terrible floods of summer 2007, celebrating the community spirit that triumphed in the face of that adversity.

Our programme of events will include the return of the Tall Ships Festival and the Royal Three Counties Henson Pig Trail, building on the success of Scrumpty in 2015.

So there is a lot to look forward to and I’m optimistic about 2017. I hope it brings you everything you wish for, too.