The keys to vacant council-owned offices will soon be handed over to the highest bidder.

Gloucester City Council chiefs are expected to approve the freehold sale of the former Gateway offices at 92-96 Westgate Street in the coming days.

The authority has not yet revealed who the preferred bidder is, but they say they are a "well known local business" which will retain employment in the area.

It added by selling the site the council will make cost savings and generate an income for the upcoming financial year.

The authority, which no longer has a need for the building, marketed the site in the autumn with the deadline for bids closing on 19 February.

The site was advertised on the open market with a guide price in the region of between £600,000 and £700,000 through a sale by private treaty.

They say bids for the property ranged from £585,000 to £610,000, with a combination of uses ranging from solely commercial to mixed use to residential.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the chosen bidder will use a mortgage as opposed to one of the other cash offers.

The council relocated its pre-booked face-to-face appointment area to Eastgate Shopping Centre in July last year.

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Nigel Farage won’t take up the Conservatives' challenge to debate Shire Hall’s finances amid concerns over “misinformation” in Reform UK election propaganda leaflets. Gloucestershire County Council’s Tory finance chief Lynden Stowe challenged the Reform UK leader to a debate after his party posted “misleading” party propaganda to voters.

In the letter sent to postal voters in the county Reform makes the claim that Tory-run council has “wasted vast amounts of taxpayer money, run up huge debts and keeps cutting services”. Mr Farage goes on to say that residents' bins are not being collected frequently enough – something which has nothing to do with the County Council.

Rubbish collections are the responsibility of the six district authorities in Gloucestershire which include Gloucester City Council or Cheltenham Borough Council.

Mr Farage was asked during his meet and greet with candidates and supporters at the Clavell and Hind Brewery and Tap Room near Cheltenham today (April 22) if he would take the offer of a debate or full briefing on the real picture of the council’s finances.

“I can’t do 24 debates over the next ten days,” Mr Farage said. “What I would say to him is I’ve had this row in Cornwall and elsewhere, I've got a bit of a shock for him. The numbers are his numbers, we got them from freedom of information requests.”

Cllr Stowe said it was “disappointing” Mr Farage could not find time in his diary for the people of Gloucestershire. He said he would have liked to have spoken to him about some of the “misinformation he has put out”.

"He’s happy to throw around comments, some of them quite wild accusations, he always comes over as someone who would like a chat.

“I would like to chat with him about some of the misinformation that he has put out. Particularly with regard to Gloucestershire and the lack of context.

“It’s disappointing that he can’t find time in the diary for the people of Gloucestershire. The case is Reform does not understand local government. It has got very quirky sets of finance.

"A lot of budgetary pressures which are statutory services and a lot of our services cannot be cut the way Reform would like to see them cut.

“There is no doubt, in the scheme of things, Gloucestershire has been managed prudently. We are a prudent council with a good balance of cash and revenue in reserves.”

Gloucestershire County Council’s elections are on May 1. A full list of all the candidates standing and the key points from the major parties can be found here.

A key road will be closed for "at least a couple of days" as emergency work to repair a damaged water main continues, a water company has said.

Drivers were stuck in gridlocked traffic for up to four hours when the A417 Over Causeway through Gloucester was closed outbound between Alney Island and Over Roundabout at 19:00 BST on Friday.

Severn Trent Water said it "found more damage to the road than expected" and it would remain closed to "keep everyone safe".

The closure caused widespread disruption over the weekend. A Severn Trent spokesperson said: "We are dealing with this as a top priority and apologise sincerely for the disruption that this is causing."

The damaged pipework has been fixed but the repaired road surface now needs to set.

Motorists said "appalling" traffic control caused gridlock and drivers reported being stuck in the car park of St Oswalds Retail Park for hours on Friday.

A spokesperson for NGSL Parking, which runs the car park at the retail park, said tickets would not be issued for Saturday or Sunday.

Stagecoach West apologised to its customers for the disruption and put diversions in place on routes 22, 23, 97, 98 and 71 out of Gloucester and on services 97, 98 and 71 into Gloucester.

"Diversions along Oxstalls Lane and Longford Lane remain as we continue to monitor the situation," it said.

Steve Husbands, company director of Import Furniture Depot on Westgate Island, said the road closure had been "an absolute nightmare".

As the retail park is built on a roundabout, Mr Husbands said it was "very, very quiet" for businesses due to the traffic jams over the weekend as drivers struggled to get in and out.

"It's one of those things we could do without at the moment," he said.

"I travel from Hereford most days.

"It took me two-and-a-half hours to get home the other day when it usually takes me 35 to 40 minutes straight over [Over Causeway]," Mr Husbands said.

"The roads are gridlocked and unfortunately there are no signs anywhere to try and find a better route."

Jason Humm from Gloucestershire County Council, said: "We're pleased to hear that Severn Trent Water's emergency works are due to finish three days earlier than expected and are scheduled to be completed by Tuesday evening.

"We understand how frustrating and disruptive their emergency road closure has been, particularly as this is a critical part of the county's road network.

"We are talking with Severn Trent Water to ensure lessons are learned about dealing with future emergency closures."

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There are concerns a pedestrian crossing closure in Gloucester city centre is “dangerous”. Work is underway to install a cycle through the city.

But the works where Southgate Street meets Kimbrose Way and Commercial Road is making the pedestrian route from the city centre to the Docks and Quays hazardous according to a local councillor.

Councillor Rebecca Trimnell (LD, Westgate), who represents that area on Gloucester City Council, is calling on Gloucestershire County Council to revise the crossing and make it more accessible.

However, highways chiefs say the traffic management in place is to ensure the safety of both the public and the workforce. She said: "I am extremely disappointed with the pedestrian layout of the crossing from Southgate Street to the steps down towards the Quays.

"It is difficult for people to know where and when to cross, waiting simply for a gap between when the traffic lights change and walking about 100 yards in either direction to cross.

"It is both dangerous and unsafe for all pedestrians, let alone those who are disabled.

“It’s really not good enough not only for residents and students who have to use this crossing daily, but also for visitors who undoubtedly will be put off from coming again until the works have been completed.

"I call on the county council to revise this crossing immediately to make it more accessible for everyone”.

A spokesperson for Gloucestershire County Council said they will monitor the works and make any necessary improvements as the work progresses.

"The traffic management in place at the Southgate Street and Commercial Road crossing is to ensure the safety of both the workforce and the public to allow these essential works to be carried out safely and efficiently.

"Signs are in place to advise pedestrians of the current arrangements. As with all our works, we will monitor the site and make any necessary improvements as the work progresses."

Cllr Trimnell is a candidate in the upcoming County Council elections.

Hempsted and Westgate candidates include Workers Party of Britain’s Steve Gower, Independent Brendon O’Donnell, Deborah Oldham of the Green Party, Labour’s Jag Thangella, Conservative Pam Tracey and Daniel Woolf of Reform UK.

Boss Mike Cook praised his Gloucester City players for their professionalism as well as their entertainment value as they trashed bottom side Marlow 7-0 at the TigerTurf Stadium on Friday afternoon.

The rampant Tigers fired six goals before the break, with Joe Hanks, Dan Ball, Elis Watts, Harry Pinchard, Ed Williams and Dayle Grubb all on target, with Grubb adding the seventh in the second half.

Cook was pleased to see his team's ruthless streak, as they bounced back from last Saturday's frustrating 1-0 defeat at Chertsey Town in style.

"It was a nice and professional performance, which is what we asked of the lads," Cook said.

"We did it in an entertaining way too, which is what I am all about, scoring a few goals this week that perhaps we should have got in the first 45 minutes last week. Somebody was on for a bit of a hiding.

"I'll enjoy this, but we have to make sure we get our heads on for Monday at Swindon Supermarine."

Cook is also pleased with the numbers available to him, with Harry Burns going on from the bench in the second half.

Curtis Jemmett-Hutson filled in at right-back due to Daniel Leadbitter missing the game due to a family bereavement, but Cook hopes to have him back on Monday.

Kieran Phillips could also be involved on the bench at Supermarine, but Spencer Hamilton and Riley McGregor remain sidelined.

"We will have a couple of choices to make, which will be nice and it's a local derby, so we want the best team we can put out," Cook said.

Skipper Hanks opened the floodgates against Marlow in the third minute, with Ball adding the second four minutes later.

Watts cut inside onto his favoured left foot and curled a fine effort past the goalkeeper for number three in the 14th minute.

Marlow hit the bar through Harry Hoath, but it was not long before Pinchard made it 4-0 in the 28th minute and Williams finished clinically for number five, with Grubb smashing the sixth past Harrison Rhone just before half-time.

Grubb's second was similar to his first, rounding off the scoring in the 64th minute in front of 1,360 fans.

City lie fourth in the table with two regular season games left, needing two points to make absolutely certain of a play-off place.

Gloucester City: Thompson; Jemmett-Hutson, Richards-Everton, Duffus, Dawson, Ball, Williams, Pinchard, Hanks, Grubb, Watts. Subs used: Crosbie, Burns, Emmett, Cross, Smalley.