Transport and environment

Gloucestershire has 3,300 miles of road, approximately 640,000 residents and over a quarter of a million households with over 40,000 of these households without a car or van to enable them to access essential services.

The National Indices of Deprivation 2019 includes a measurement of transport access across the country. Each neighbourhood in England has had distance measurements calculated and ranked to the following services:

• Post office
• Primary school
• General store/supermarket
• GP Surgery

The map shows how Gloucestershire’s neighbourhoods fare when compared against all areas in England – the red coloured areas on the map are neighbourhoods that are in the most deprived quintile of “Geographical Barriers” in England. Most of the land area of Gloucestershire falls within this quintile with the exceptions of the urban areas of the county, emphasising how important it is for all organisations to consider geographical barriers to access when planning or delivering services.

Safe environments

We know that a barrier to accessing local communities by foot or by bicycle can be driven by safety concerns, such as street lighting and road safety. A safer systems approach to road safety considers not only road user education, but also how roads are designed and built to protect road users and reduce the likelihood of anyone being killed or seriously injured.

Confidence in road safety for pedestrians and cyclists can enable people to be more independent and access friends, family, and community services more easily. Schemes including play streets and pedestrianised areas all help provide safer spaces for people to connect.

Case study - Play Streets

Whilst our roads and streets may not seem like an obvious place for social interactions, many Gloucestershire residents are working with Gloucestershire County Council to legally close their road to through-traffic for one-off events and opportunities for neighbours and communities to come together outside their homes.

During the Platinum Jubilee, approximately 250 streets in Gloucestershire were closed to allow residents to get together and throw street parties to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II 70th Anniversary. Further street parties are expected for June 2023 to celebrate the King’s Coronation.

One street in Gloucestershire have trialled a Play Street, where residents agree to close the road, creating a safe space for children to play freely together on their doorstep. Residents of Mead Street in Cheltenham came together and agreed to close their street to create a space for children and adults to get together and have fun! The event was a great success, and the residents hope to hold more Play Street events in the future.

If you would like to close your road for the King’s Coronation or would like to consider running your own Play Street, you will need to ensure you receive a license allowing you to legally close the road. Please visit Road & Lane Closures, Special Events & Filming - Highways (gloucestershire.gov.uk) for more information.

Whilst our roads and streets may not seem like an obvious place for social interactions, many Gloucestershire residents are working with Gloucestershire County Council to legally close their road to through-traffic for one-off events and opportunities for neighbours and communities to come together outside their homes.

During the Platinum Jubilee, approximately 250 streets in Gloucestershire were closed to allow residents to get together and throw street parties to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II 70th Anniversary. Further street parties are expected for June 2023 to celebrate the King’s Coronation.

One street in Gloucestershire have trialled a Play Street, where residents agree to close the road, creating a safe space for children to play freely together on their doorstep. Residents of Mead Street in Cheltenham came together and agreed to close their street to create a space for children and adults to get together and have fun! The event was a great success, and the residents hope to hold more Play Street events in the future.

If you would like to close your road for the King’s Coronation or would like to consider running your own Play Street, you will need to ensure you receive a license allowing you to legally close the road. Please visit Road & Lane Closures, Special Events & Filming - Highways (gloucestershire.gov.uk) for more information.