Cheltenham's Promenade set for massive re-paving overhaul
FAMOUS for its Georgian architecture, Cheltenham is widely regarded as one of the UK's prettiest places to visit.
But keeping the Regency town looking its best is a costly affair.
Cheltenham Borough Council will spend £100,000 of taxpayer's cash in 2013/14 to help repave the west Promenade, opposite the shops.
This comes after the authority contributed £145,000 to help give east Promenade a smooth new pavement last year.
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Both of the revamp projects are the overall responsibility of Gloucestershire County Council but the borough council has dipped into its own funds to make sure the area is done just right.
Councillor John Rawson (LD, St Peters), cabinet member for finance, said: "The money comes from our Civic Pride reserve, which has been built up over the years from past underspends and sales of property.
"The county council is responsible for pavement maintenance, but what we are doing is to top up the county expenditure to achieve a higher standard of work than we could achieve from routine maintenance." Mr Rawson said the council's decision to pay a little bit extra to go above and beyond 'routine' work had positive results, particularly from traders on Cheltenham's "premier shopping street".
He said: "The work we are proposing to carry out this year on the west side is badly needed, as the pavement is very uneven and the paving is patched with tarmac – not the standard you want in Cheltenham's premier shopping street."
The west Promenade sees less footfall than the east, but with walkers bypassing the shops, people using the taxi rank and shoppers navigating the frequently-visiting farmers' market, the route is an important link between the town centre and Montpellier.
The company which runs the farmers' market, Grenchurch Ltd, has applied to trade on the pedestrian area outside Cavendish House while the work is carried out. The date for the work is yet to be set in stone.
As well as the refurbishment of the Promenade, the borough council has announced plans to extend the work other areas.
Mr Rawson added: "The work is part of a longer-term programme of pavement improvements that we hope will extend to the High Street, the area around St Mary's and the North Place area in due course."
OPINION, P8
12 Comments
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by vosixyn
Monday, March 04 2013, 4:56PM
“Sorry to get all negative, but nobody lives in the Prom. Why spend our Council Tax tarting it up when it is GCC responsibility? Could spend the money on the tracks that pass as roads where I live. Alternatively, update the antiquated recycling system.”
by agent006
Monday, March 04 2013, 7:46AM
“I wonder who will be doing the work. Will I be able to watch Gloucestershire Highways move at barely a yard a day with their endless teabreaks, or will they get Envex to do it? They did the section past Montpellier gardens far faster and better than the stretch done by Glos Highways last year.”
by agent006
Monday, March 04 2013, 7:43AM
“How do you wast money?”
by cityboy1981
Monday, March 04 2013, 1:27AM
“**** town with spa and no history. why wast tax payers money?”
by Grahambarker
Saturday, March 02 2013, 1:53PM
“Why all the plaudits?
CBC shuld have never allowed it to fall into such dangerous disrepair in the first place.
Why cant cbc think out side the box and build seating walls around the trees - all the new plan does it to trample mud over the new pavement.
If you are going to keep CBC a nice place to visit - then you have to declare it a gum free zone. period.
If councils can do that for Nuclear arms - then why can't our wonderful civic leadres take a lead on gum!!”
by raidermanuk
Saturday, March 02 2013, 1:46PM
“Well, if it runs north / south then there'll be a west side and an east side! The west side is the municipal building side whist the east side is where the shops are located.”
by Quasi2010
Saturday, March 02 2013, 1:24PM
“by thomas1996
Saturday, March 02 2013, 12:46PM
"Anyone other than me confused over mentions of East and West Promenade?"
I always thought it ran more North and South.”
by thomas1996
Saturday, March 02 2013, 12:46PM
“Anyone other than me confused over mentions of East and West Promenade?”
by NibNobs
Saturday, March 02 2013, 11:31AM
“No doubt they will spend all that cash, 2 months later a utility or a phone company will dig it up and not reinstate it properly and a couple of years time the council will be saying to attract more visitors we want to pedestrianise the whole street from where Habitat used to be to the corner by the taxi rank?”
by Quasi2010
Saturday, March 02 2013, 10:35AM
“Lets hope we don't see another another repeat of the York stone paving slab episode when they paved outside Cavendish House. The council spent many thousands on buying and laying these "special" paving slabs despite calls about the cost etc. We were all told that they would be a wonderful enhancement to the area with their wonderful colouring and that vehicles and tradesmens stalls would be denied access to it. Well that all went out of the window, and to be honest after many years it looks just like any regular pedestrianised area with vehicles and trade stands useing it on a regular basis.
Think carefully and spend wisely.”