Agenda item

1.

Question from Fiona Wild to the Cabinet Member Clean and Green Environment, Councillor Chris Coleman

Has the enormous response of 2,436 signatures, gathered in only 3 weeks, on the petition to retain the current style of planting in keeping with the surrounding formal buildings, in Imperial Gardens & the Long Gardens, been fully taken into account by the Cabinet to influence their final decision on the future appearance of these areas?

Response from Cabinet Member

In response to the petition and the council debate, I requested that officers further consider options for the 2 locations which raised public concern.

The business case considering all options including a new option to retain the current planting regime in the Long Gardens and Imperial Gardens and move to perennial planting in all other locations was considered by the council’s overview and scrutiny committee on 27^th November 2017. Members of overview and scrutiny committee were supportive of this new option (option 2); the recommendation to be considered by the Cabinet tonight.

In a supplementary question Fiona Wild said that whilst she was relieved that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had recommended that Cabinet adopt Option 2 in response to the petition consisting of nearly 2,500 signatures gathered in only 3 weeks, she asked whether Cabinet knew of any reason why the Gold Award for environmental responsibility and community participation, won by Imperial Gardens in the Autumn from the Heart of England Tourism Authority, received no publicity whatsoever?

In response the Cabinet Member Clean and Green Environment confirmed that he had not been aware of the award and assured Mrs Wild that he would correct this.

2.

Question from Fiona Wild to the Cabinet Member Clean and Green Environment, Councillor Chris Coleman

Has the possibility that visitors may be less encouraged to return to the town if herbaceous or wild planting lacks colour or looks untidy in the winter, been properly considered by members of this Cabinet in the light of the detrimental effect this might have on the local economy?

Response from Cabinet Member

Any changes to planting style would take into account the local setting. A herbaceous or perennial scheme in the Long gardens and Imperial Gardens is likely to have been formal and there were no plans for wild planting.

With careful choice of perennial plants and bulbs winter and spring schemes can be just as colourful and tidy as annual bedding.

I do not believe there to be any evidence to suggest that a change in planting style is likely to impact on the local economy.

In a supplementary question Fiona Wild asked whether Cabinet would be prepared to accept that there may be a negative effect upon the local economy if the formal and colourful bedding plants in Imperial and the Long Gardens, beloved of visitors and most residents, were to be replaced by herbaceous planting, which although pleasing to connoisseurs and followers of trends, looked dull out of season, although actual evidence of any future downturn was, of course, impossible to quantify at present?

In response the Cabinet Member referred Mrs Wild to recommendation 2 of the report which stated that further work and consultation would be undertaken in respect of the Imperial Gardens and the Long Gardens. He stated that if following this work there was evidence that perennial planting would cause a detrimental effect the council would act accordingly and stressed that the very best interests of Cheltenham were at the heart of every decision the council made.

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