Big summer for Cheltenham with opening of H&M, River Island and Museum and Art Gallery

BIG things are on the way this summer as Cheltenham braces itself for two major developments to finally open.

The Regent Arcade is at the heart of the excitement with the opening of a flagship H&M and a larger River Island.

And the £6.2 million new Art Gallery and Museum on Clarence Street will also open its doors following a major revamp.

A £20 million renovation by Willmott Dixon at the Regent Arcade began a year ago, which will see a new facade which opens onto the High Street.

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River Island's new store is three times bigger than its current unit in Regent Arcade and is expected to open in July, while H&M is scheduled for an August launch.

Shoppers have been calling for a H&M for many years and councillor Roger Whyborn (LD, Up Hatherley) hopes it will keep Cheltenham on the shopping map.

He said: "My daughter enjoys shopping and it will be a great addition to the fantastic range of shops we have in Cheltenham.

"It is clearly much sought-after and will be well used in the town.

"The town is known for its shopping, but we should not be resting on our laurels.

"We need to make sure we continue to get big names into the town.

"I would like to see the high-end market added to with a Harvey Nichols moving in.

"We still get a lot of people coming to Cheltenham, particularly for shopping, and there are many coach trips from South Wales for that reason."

H&M will take up three floors next to the arcade entrance, while River Island is moving next to Lloyds bank over two levels.

Meanwhile, the art gallery and museum is going to transform the Clarence Street site into a state-of-the-art cultural hub.

Work started on the build in August 2011.

It will include a tourist information centre and gift shop and is expected to finish by the summer – following a three-month delay.

When it reopens it will have a display for a selection of its 500 fine art paintings for the first time since it opened in 1889.