Shire Hall chiefs and Borough bosses have been blasted for trying to “fix Cheltenham on the cheap” with plans to rip up the historic Promenade’s flagstones and replace them with tarmac.
They are considering a scheme to remove some of the York stones outside Cavendish House and replace them with a strip of tarmac similar to that which has recently been laid in The Strand.
The proposals, which were discussed behind closed doors earlier this month, could happen as soon as May.
And the scheme would involve paving stones down the centre of the Promenade being removed.
These would be replaced with a tarmac and buff coloured strip to be flanked by bollards preventing vehicles from driving onto the remaining stone paving either side.
The rationale behind the proposals is understood to be financial.
This year alone around £100,000 has been spent on replacing broken York stone paving.
But Cheltenham Civic Society has blasted the proposals as “fixing Cheltenham on the cheap”.
They learned of the secret plans through a set of minutes of a meeting held behind closed doors on March 4.
They view this as a major issue and say they will mount a determined campaign against it over the next weeks before the two councils try to go ahead with ripping up the flagstones in early May.
Andrew Booton, Chair of Cheltenham Civic Society (CCS), said: “It’s amazing that Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) and Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) can make fast decisions when they want to.
“We’ve been pressing them for five years to address the town centre’s appalling paving but all of a sudden they decide to act – and not in a good way.
“The Prom is probably the most important street in Cheltenham. It forms part of the Central Conservation Area, hosts numerous listed buildings and is the town’s social and emotional barometer.
“When the Prom looks sad with empty shops, the rest of the town feels it.
“Now, not only do we risk having Cavendish House and the Municipal Offices falling empty or undeveloped simultaneously, the street is going to be ripped up and tarmacked.
“We supported coated tarmac on the Strand and Cambray Place because it was the only option to replace hideous, unsafe surfaces that were pockmarked with tarmac cowpats and broken paviors.
“Let’s not forget, the roads were in that state because GCC had neglected them and because CBC – the supposed guardian of our public realm – took no interest in pushing GCC to address their terrible state.
“Now after years of CBC wringing their hands and saying highways were nothing to do with them, CBC and GCC have stitched up a cosy little deal to rip up the York stone. They pretend it’s because it’s the most cost-effective option.
“But the reality is that GCC has not maintained the Prom properly. Their badly-installed reinstatements keep failing due to poor workmanship by Ringway, GCC’s main highways contractor. That wastes expensive materials so, oddly enough, they now say they have run out of money.
“Meanwhile CBC has manifestly refused to fight for improvements to the town centre’s streets. Until now.
“So what has changed? Now, CBC has said that it is happy for the Promenade’s stone to be ripped up and replaced with tarmac.
“But every time CBC and GCC’s fingerprints touch our historic fabric, a little bit more of the town’s heritage is compromised or disappears altogether. We cannot trust them to do what is right.
“They just do what is easiest for the officers and what is cheapest – and we mean cheap, not inexpensive! No other comparable town has to put up with this nonsense.
“Does Bath rip up flagstones and replace them with tarmac? Does Oxford infill its beautiful streets with tarmac cowpats?
“No, they respect and protect their heritage and do what is right by budgeting properly, planning properly, safeguarding heritage properly, and behaving as responsible custodians of public assets.
“Even Cirencester’s town centre streets are beautifully paved in stone. In Cheltenham, we constantly have to fight against mediocrity, laziness and apathy. Is it any wonder our town looks down at heel?”
County Council leader Stephen Davies (C, Hardwicke and Severn) says improvements to the surface of the Promenade are essential to allow access for vehicles and maintain the “vibrant” town centre market events that take place there.
He said regular damage has been caused to the slabs due to vehicle access despite considerable efforts over a number of years to relay slabs and to reinforce the substructure below them.
“Improvements to the surface of the Promenade are therefore essential to enable access for vehicles and maintain a vibrant market town centre with events such as the Christmas market,” he said.
“The option that we have chosen provides an attractive, hard-wearing surface that’s smoother and more accessible to visitors.
“The materials and repairs will be easier to source, so utility companies will be able to provide an instant repair following their work and this will also be more cost-effective in the long-term.
“The use of the new material has a much lower carbon footprint compared to the stone slabs which has the added benefit of reducing the environmental impact.
“Alongside these enhancements we are also planning to install new flowerbeds around the base of the trees with the intention of planting spring bulbs and wildflowers to elevate the appearance of the Promenade. I am surprised at the reaction from the Civic Society.
“They are aware of the challenges in getting the right balance at this location, we have always attempted to work in good faith with them over the years on this topic; and they were invited to the meeting to discuss the issues with the County Council and Cheltenham Borough Council.”
The Borough Council says it is committed to raising the standard of the quality of the town centre and has consistently lobbied Gloucestershire County Council to support this.
Cheltenham has a vibrant centre and through the work we have been undertaking in line with our vacant units action plan, they say. And the spa town is a place investors want to be part of, they say.
Waste, recycling and public realm Izaac Tailford (LD, All Saints) said: “We recognise the many functions that areas such as the Promenade need to play in our town, and have been lobbying
Gloucestershire County Council to ensure that the multi-functional use is maintained so that markets, events and wider activities can continue.
“We do accept that to do this, there are challenges and conflicts but it is important that we maintain and where possible, raise the bar in respect of quality.
“Public realm interventions, such as the quality of paving, can support local economic growth by attracting new businesses and visitors to an area. Cheltenham is proud of its brand as The Festival Town and the value of our retail and hospitality sectors which are the backbone of the town centre economy.
‘’After lobbying the county council, CBC was invited to a meeting on March 4 alongside Cheltenham Business Improvement District (BID) and the Cheltenham Civic Society. At this meeting a plan of works was unveiled.
“Having not seen this plan previously, we offered high level reflections on the detail. It was a shame the Civic Society did not attend the meeting to voice their concerns and take part in this discussion.
“Gloucestershire County Council are not required to consult with us, the BID or the Civic Society – but we welcome the engagement so we could push for improvements and raise any concerns, especially as we try to work more collaboratively between councils.”