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Plan to tarmac part of Georgian promenade paused

Carmelo Garcia
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carmelo Garcia The Promenade in Cheltenham with a view down the wide pedestrianised street. It has mature trees along the middle, black bollards, a number of shoppers and shops in Regency style Carmelo Garcia
Plans to resurface the Promenade in Cheltenham have been put on hold

Plans to resurface a historic high street have been paused after thousands of people objected to them.

The decision to pause the project to tarmac the Promenade in Cheltenham has been hailed as a victory by the town's civic society.

Gloucestershire County Council chiefs had planned to take up the York flagstones and lay a strip of asphalt instead, similar to what has happened at The Strand part of High Street

The regional authority has said the civic society will be involved in any future decision making.

The historic high street was first laid in 1818 during the Regency period and became a tree lined drive for carriages.

It has evolved into an important shopping street in the town and is used for activities like the Christmas market.

Gloucestershire Archives An archived black and white picture of Cheltenham's promenade in 1818. The grainy photo shows the street full of people in Regency clothing with outdoor seating areas and trees lining the street.Gloucestershire Archives
The popular Promenade was established in 1818 during the Regency era

In September 2024, Cheltenham MP Max Wilkinson described the temporary repairs to the Promenade as 'tarmac cowpats'. He said the county council and utility companies had used cheaper material rather than replacing the original flagstones after carrying out work.

In March the county council announced it was planning to take up the flagstones and lay asphalt instead, as early as May.

However a petition signed by more than 2,000 people and a campaign by Cheltenham's Civic Society has led to the plans to be paused.

Carmelo Garcia Andrew Booton standing in the middle of the promenade, wearing dark blue jeans and a blue striped jumper. He has short grey curly hair and is looking at the camera with a serious expression. His right hand is resting on top of a black bollard, while his other hand is in his front jeans pocket. Behind him you can see shoppers walking down the road. Beneath his feet there is a large patch of tarmac with has been laid to replace the broken paving stones with cover the rest of the street.Carmelo Garcia
Cheltenham Civic Society Chair Andrew Booton In The Promenade

Cheltenham Civic Society said it has "won the battle" but the war to save the spa town's iconic Promenade may not yet be over, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Its chairman Andrew Booton said: "We are concerned that the solution to be arrived at will fully respect the town's heritage, its beauty and the integrity of the Central Conservation Area."

Shire Hall is now looking at other options which would allow vehicle access without breaking the stones.

County council leader Stephen Davies said: "If we can find an alternative we will consider that, although installation may need to be phased if it is expensive.

"If we can't find an alternative we have agreed to meet again. I believe this is a common sense approach."

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