More than 900 people have responded to a public engagement on an approach to revitalise Cheltenham’s High Street and Promenade, helping shape a vision for a more attractive, accessible and vibrant public realm that supports residents, businesses and visitors. The high response rate demonstrates the strong sense of pride, passion and interest people have in Cheltenham town centre.

The six-week public engagement, run by Cheltenham BID, Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucestershire County Council, closed yesterday (Monday July 20). It sought the views of business owners, organisations, residents and visitors on aspects affecting the High Street and Promenade including the street design, layout, paving, lighting, trees and planting as well as signage, seating and accessibility. Everything from shopfronts to highways maintenance and the materials used in public art, formed part of the public engagement.

There is still an opportunity for business owners to get involved by taking part in a business briefing and engagement event being held at Hub8 MX, Chester Walk, The Minster on Tuesday August 11 from 5pm – 7pm. Attendance should be reserved via Eventbrite. 

In total 945 people responded to the survey. Key themes that emerged include:

• Fix the basics (paving, cleanliness, maintenance).
• Improve visual quality (greenery, consistency, appearance).
• Help restore vitality (shops, activity, vibrancy).

Alex Rose, chair of Cheltenham BID, said: “The strength of this response, with more than 900 people taking the time to have their say, demonstrates just how much residents and businesses care about the future of our town centre. People are passionate about Cheltenham, its High Street and Promenade, its heritage and its future. It’s fantastic to see our community coming together behind a clear, shared ambition for Cheltenham’s public realm.

“Our job now is to turn that ambition into action. The BID, the councils and our partners are committed to delivering meaningful improvements at the heart of the town and bringing this vision to life. It will take time, but this is exactly where the journey should begin.”

Cllr Izaac Tailford, cabinet member for economic development, culture, wellbeing and the public realm, Cheltenham Borough Council, said: “We are hearing a clear message that people want us to get the basics right, improve the look and feel of the High Street and Promenade and help create a more vibrant town centre that people want to visit and spend time in.

“Every response will help us shape the next stage of this work and I’d like to personally thank everyone who has taken the time to get involved. If you’re a business or business owner, it’s still not too late to have your say. We’d encourage you to join us at our business engagement event at Hub8 MX, Chester Walk, The Minster on Tuesday August 11 from 5pm – 7pm.”

Cllr Mark Harris, cabinet member for highways, Gloucestershire County Council, added: ““We’ll carefully review the feedback before considering how it can be incorporated into future proposals. The work we’ve done to gather the views of the business community and people of the town will strengthen future funding bids and help us deliver improvements that stand the test of time and can be maintained effectively for years to come. I’d like to thank every single person who’s contributed by completing a survey and for helping us take the next step in achieving our shared vision for the town.”