“fed up of glos how can you run the people of st pauls down comming from glos for a start? the people who live in st pauls are decent people and a lot of them work keep your horrible comments to yourself or go and meet the decent people down there and i think you will find there not all tarred with the same brush.the council are to blame for the state of st.pauls not the residents.they pulled the houses down they made it look like a bomb site theve left it to rot so blame them first”

“What would Laura recommend than with law and order, I wish that I could leave the area as well. We cant let vandals rule the rest. There must be a answer somewhere. Not so long ago I read that St Pauls Cheltenham was one of the top 20 most deprived areas.

Is it any wonder that vigilantes go around neighbourhoods in some towns to maintain law and order. Not that I would recommend that.
I have lived in the area over 20 years, it wasn¿t always this bad, not sure where or when it went wrong. It doesn¿t help when reporters make out St Pauls is ok, makes me sick when I hear St Pauls community Spirt facts are as reported it is anything but.
Why spend so much on the area before the underlying problems are still evident. Those who deny them than cant live in the area.

How many houses in Manser or Hudson street have had fires set in them or how many windows broken or fittings stolen from them. All I can say is when the builders start they need to employ some security to keep items safe.

Why is it that others don¿t do anything to stop them, or report them as some must know whom they are

Sorry to say until it stops than the money might as well be thrown in the lake.

If St Pauls is no worse the any where else why move? Could it be as you say its out of our hands than surely its about time someone states we have a problem and we are dealing with it. Or it will go on.”

“I am a St Pauls resident and am one of the ones who go out to work and pay taxes to come home to find more vandalism thus making the area looking a mess.

We are all fed up of the antisocial behaviour (yes there are more people than you think in the area that are hardworkers) but again, its out of our hands.

Its not fair that those who commit the crimes make the rest of us feel belittled - this adds fuel for the people who clearly dont understand and hence we are constantly thrown offensive comments.

Luckily myself and family are hopefully planning to move out of the area next year but in all honesty, you get the same stuff happen everywhere so there is no clear escape!

A Fed Up Chelt Resident - in response to your comment - they did once put in a 'police station' in the area (down my street in fact) but they were driven out due to the constant vandalism and abuse, so trying again just would not work...”

“If they cant get the government to front up the cash needed, than why not sale the land to builders whom can build and sale houses to private buyers with a option maybe to rent a few. This is prime land in Cheltenham, it backs on to Pittville park also within walking distance to the Swimming Pool plus the sports club and of course the Brewery and town centre.

I was also the impression as St pauls Observer that was going to be a mix of private and rented, hopefully than it may curb a few of the residents whom thrive with anti social behaviour as some are decent citizens there. As is the case its just the few that give the rest a bad name.

I believe if a few of our visitors that came to see Pittville park if only they walked further across to exit at the bottom by the Golf Course than the Council Estate would never been allowed to be as riddled as it is. I came up Hanover Street a few day back its strewn with rubbish.

Just look at the houses that are near to the new Dunalley school they well suit the area, yet just a 5 min walk down the road its completely different. I would also say we do need a police station based in St Pauls as we are mostly forgotten area of Cheltenham, that drug dealers , and the rest come into St Pauls to do their crimes. As we only now have Whaddon to rely on, we only ever see PCSO whom have no powers of arrest, I would get rest of them and employ a few more policeman to come into St Pauls.
This than may deter crime and the anti social behaviour we have plaguing St Pauls.”

“Bill - having a good job just is not just about 'Luck' or having things fall into your lap, it is about hard graft and effort...if more people realised this in this country, instead of waiting to have things handed to them on platter things might be different. as regards st pauls, i'm sure there are many people there who lead normal lives - working to support their family, etc- but there at least as many who live by profiteering, from whichever means - i was beaten up or had things stolen many times as a child of less than 10 going to play rugby on sunday morning or going to the swimming pool, having to walk the gauntlet that was tommy taylor lane 30 years on the place has not changed, except i am no longer the size that they would prefer to pick on. Many issues there need ot addressed, not least the housing and tenants - 3 of whom on the front page of this good paper just this week lived there for a looooooooooooooooooong time.”

“So when you meet in battle those who disbelieve, then smite the necks until when you have overcome them, then make (them) prisoners, and afterwards either set them free as a favor or let them ransom (themselves) until the war terminates.

Qur'an 47:4”

“It has long been recognised that simply ploughing money into St. Pauls, has simply meant throwing good money after bad. The Echo has published statistics in the past showing St. Pauls is one of the more impoverished areas in the country. These very statistics were used as an argument for redevelopment.

We were told that one of the prime reasons for redeveloping Manser Street and Hudson Street was to provide a "mix" of residents. The inclusion of many home owners with a stake in the community was meant to offer an opportunity to develop a new culture, and a new, brighter future.

Gordon Malcolm, Cheltenham Borough Home's new build project manager's statement sounded the end of such hopes when he said "As the regeneration proposals have developed, the housing market has experienced significant change and the potential to secure a partner has effectively disappeared."

We are now stuck with demolished homes bringing in no rent and exacerbating an already poor financial situation.

We all laughed at the Noddy Train and I would be in fits if this situation was not so tragic. The money wasted through unnecessary rental loss could have either improved this project or funded others.

Fresh capital that would have been created from sales of council land has now been lost because the politicians, who voted for this mess, say the recession means builders are not interested in building homes for sale.

Recessions do not last forever, and if private developers are not rushing in, should the council? Now that these homes have been demolished, it might be as well to leave those sites as they are, until the Housing Market recovers. Once the market recovers homes built next to a superb park are likely to fetch a premium.

Whatever we do let¿s not repeat past mistakes in St. Pauls and simply throw good money after bad.”

“In reply to One of the one's who pays through the nose for the, Cheltenham. You should be happy that you have a job where you are privileged to pay the higher rate tax. Not everyone has had the breaks that you may have had. As someone that has lived in the St Paul's area, I think you should keep your biggoted comments to yourself. There are good honest hard working people living in the area and if they had the good fortune you have been blessed with, would put it to better use. It would do you good to meet some of the people that have to live there and find out what they are really like. But from the tone of your statement I think that will never happen. Just think, in these uncertain days you may find yourself out on your ear and in the same situation. Actually, it might do you some good.”

“This is a disgrace. Cheltenham Borough Council forced out loads of tenants, compulsorily purchased properties and demolished 67 of them; and now they are admitting that they don't have the money to build new houses, so they are trying to hold the government to ransom. Who, exactly, wanted this redevelopment in the first place? There was nothing wrong with the houses.”

“Hard to believe, but while desperate people need a roof over their heads, Cheltenham Borough have given £1.25 million, I repeat one million two hundred and fifty thousand pounds, to the Everyman Theatre to tart it up for the Toffs.

The £1m is a loan, but that money is taken out of circulation for years.

This money would have gone some way to build good housing in St Pauls, and create jobs for the real workers in this recession.

The big winner is the Everyman's out of town architect who will get a cut of at least £250,000 for tidying the Theatre. Nice work if you can get it. I bet he's excited.”