Cheltenham town revamp gets seal of approval
MAJOR plans to transform the heart of Cheltenham have moved a step closer as senior councillors gave Civic Pride the green light.
And to fund the multi-million pound facelift, Cheltenham Borough Council has agreed to sell its share of the Regent Arcade shopping centre.
-
The authority's cabinet last night agreed to recommend the full council sets the wheels in motion to closing more of the town's roads to traffic, turning North Place and Portland Street car parks into a new council office and library and selling the municipal buildings in the Promenade.
Councillor John Morris (LD, Springbank), who has responsibility for the scheme as cabinet member for the built environment, said: "We very rarely have the responsibility as councillors to have a big influence on the town's future.
"We have it now and it's a heavy responsibility."
He added: "We're now moving to the delivery stage, it's the next stage after four years of work."
His fellow cabinet member John Rawson (LD, St Peter's) said: "With the pedestrianisation of the Promenade its detractors at the time said it was unwanted – but now you'd wonder why.
"We're not spending very much money here to start off the project, but unless we have a bit of imagination we might miss a historic opportunity."
Work could start as early as April, and by mid-2012, Royal Well Road, Boots Corner and North Street could be pedestrian boulevards.
The council could move to new buildings in Portland Street and would vacate their Regency offices in the Promenade to allow the redevelopment of the building and council-owned land in Royal Well Road.
One cabinet member who expressed concerns was councillor John Webster. He has doubts about vacating and selling the Municipal Buildings.
Coun Webster (LD, St Mark's) said: "We're selling the family silver here and we've got to make sure we don't sell it too cheaply."
He abstained from the vote and the resolution was passed by five votes to none against.
The cabinet also decided to go ahead with the sale of its share in the Regent Arcade and attached car park.
It will recommend to the full council that £8 million of the expected tens of millions from the sale of the shopping centre to the insurance company Canada Life be used for the Civic Pride remodelling.
It suggests the rest of the money should be invested and the interest used to fund council services.
Coun Rawson, who has cabinet responsibility for resources, said: "People will ask if this is the right time to sell.
"The answer is yes. Canada Life want to buy, there is a 'marriage value' in selling to them because they own the rest of the centre which increases the amount we will receive.
"And we would have to contribute to a major refurbishment of the centre – selling removes that obligation."
A share of the rental paid by shops in Regent Arcade nets the borough council £500,000 a year and funds from the car park bring in £700,000.
Coun Rawson said the council's treasury team had figures to show investing the money from the sale would bring in more income than the council made from owning part of the arcade.
The decisions on whether to proceed with Civic Pride plans and how to spend money raised by any sale of the council's share of Regent Arcade will now go to full council on October 13 at 2.30pm.
15 Comments
View all
by Anon, Cheltenham
Thursday, October 09 2008, 10:56PM
“If they want to spend £8m on the council office move from the 10s of millions from the sale from the Regent Arcade where are they going to invest the rest of the money? The whole banking system seems to be in crisis and £11m in Cheltenham Councils investments are currently at risk in Icelandic banks. Are they going to sell the Regent Arcade and risk loosing more of our money at a time of such finacial instability?”
by Ethan, Glos
Thursday, October 09 2008, 11:58AM
“Unfortunately for Cheltenham, for the retail offer, it's Cabots Circus now, Gloucester Quays spring next year and then Gloucester's Kings Quarter (2011/2) (twice the size of the regent arcade!) from our point of view.”
by Ex Cheltenham shopper, Cheltenham
Wednesday, October 08 2008, 7:41PM
“After so many of these ridiculous being made descisions by CBC I find myself wondering if they are representing us or Gloucester as most of their ideas seem to be about turning Cheltenham into an inaccesible ghost town. With refernce to the new council offices being next to one of few the remaining carparks, is there any link in the cheapest car park in Cheltenham (Coronation Square) being next to a large council department?”
by Ian, Cheltenham
Wednesday, October 08 2008, 7:29PM
“So North Street is to be a pedestrian boulevard?What a joke for most of its length its a concrete canyon devoid of any character at all, and I dont see how by selling off the towns assets the council thinks it will have a better income. Where will this money come from? It wont be from the shoppers because after they have closed most of the roads into town and built on the car parks the shoppers are now in Gloucester, Swindon and Bristol. Councillor Morris says they have a heavy resposibility, yes and we are all going to suffer. Roll on the next election Couincillor Morris because you will find my vote now goes somewhere else.”
by Anon, Cheltenham
Wednesday, October 08 2008, 6:41PM
“I have lived and paid council tax in this town for over a quarter of a century. I have seen total stupidity on the part of local MPs and even more from local councillors. I am angered that a bunch of super-annuated morons can make decisions that bear no relationship to common sense nor to the people who have to pay! Has anyone asked the National Audit Office to look into the finances of Cheltenham Borough Council and the financial undertakings of council members and council officials? If the Council is prepared to be open with the people who bankroll them, where are the accounts? Are these figures open to scrutiny? Coun Rawson said the council's treasury team had figures to show investing the money from the sale would bring in more income than the council made from owning part of the arcade .Oh yes? Where are these figures and why should we believe them? Much ,that the present council has screwed up, regardless of political control, runs counter to local democracy. I am so dissolutioned with local politics and local politicians that, last time, I voted for candidates, who had no hope of election. I will do the same again, even if they belong to the Monster Raving Loony Party, until such time as the real Political Monsters treat the electorate as more than pig-ignorant election fodder.”