Agenda item

1.

Question from David Stennet of the Friends of Imperial Square and Gardens

The Friends of Imperial Square and Gardens have a positive feel about the future of Imperial Gardens and concur with your plans showing the extra pathway entrances to the Gardens.   We will remain vigilant.

If the virtual images we have seen in the public consultation display regarding the proposed new look of the Gardens become a reality then Councillors, Parks Dept., Friends of Imperial Square and Gardens, Cheltenham in Bloom and the people of Cheltenham can take a bow.

i) There is a lot to live up to and we would ask for the Council’s guarantee that all parties observe their promises.

Floral grandeur is a major component of the project.   It is proposed to reduce the floral overall area from 650 square metres to 620 square metres and from 48 flowerbeds to 33.  Meanwhile, The Festivals’ tent capacity is increased by one third to nearly 3000 square metres.

ii) As it is the intention to board over some of the flowerbeds when Festivals take place, why can’t extra floral display beds be put on the south and east sections to make up to the present volume?

We would encourage the planting of mature staked specimen trees instead of young saplings to help restrict any acts of vandalism. The Jazz Festival’s move away is welcome.  This will relieve the eco-pressure on Imperial Gardens.  It is imperative that all damage to flowerbeds and lawned areas be restored promptly after Festival use, otherwise strict penalties should be imposed. It is unfair to drift into a repeat of the past eighteen months when Imperial Gardens has looked like a wasteland.   The people of Cheltenham deserve better.  Tents must go up and down in double-quick time. There must be a covenant that The Festivals meet the costs of restoration of the lawns and flowerbeds to the highest order.

We like the idea of Skillicorne Gardens being opened up, but caution about possible noise and disturbance from loud music and drinking disorders. Use for Wedding Parties is being suggested but this should not lead to the extension of existing licences appertaining to both the Garden Bar and Town Hall. 

iii) Can the Council give us an assurance that they have no such plans?

iv) Can you also re-state your commitment to The Gardens’ Code of Conduct Policy being enforced, namely no ball games, no bicyle riding, no alcohol drinking, no litter and no dogs allowed except on leads?

This is particularly important at any time and more so now you are going to spend £140,000 on the first step of the Imperial Gardens Upgrade.”

Response from Cabinet Member Sustainability, Councillor Roger Whyborn

i) The Council will keep its promises.

ii) There will be increased planting of shrubbery and perennials around the periphery of the gardens, also the central avenue with flowering trees, as well as the replanting of Skillicorne gardens using climbing plants, for example roses. Regarding the square meterage of flower beds, officers will look at whether this can be increased in a way that gives a tasteful and practical effect.

The contract between the Council and Cheltenham Festivals will require that damage to flowerbeds and lawned areas are restored after Festival use at their expense. Both sides will attempt to undertake this as promptly as the weather allows.

A 75 day per annum rule will be appliedto the length of time tents may occupy the lawns.

iii) The council has no plans to extend the licensing hours in the Gardens.

iv)The council is committed to protecting the infrastructure and public enjoyment of Imperial Gardens and will take reasonable and practical steps within our power to deal with unwelcome behaviour. To do this we will continue to work closely with the police and the community.

In a supplementary question, David Stennett, commented that recent observations had dented his enthusiasm as the appearance of the Imperial Gardens was not living up to expectations following the recent Festivals.  Only a limited amount of restoration work had been done and turf needed reworking. He considered this tarnished the image of Cheltenham and asked who was going to take the possibility for making sure that the reinstatement work was carried out properly?

The Cabinet Member replied that some returfing work had already been carried out following the Science Festival. Parks and Gardens staff were still working on this and he asked the Friends to bear with the council as it would be completed shortly.  

2.

Question from Diane Lewis

Why can the argument "option 2 seeming the more likely option was more based on that option being broadly acceptable to the Friends of Imperial Gardens than option 1 being unacceptable to Cheltenham Festivals" be used as a fair, rational and democratic means of arriving at a decision to give the whole of Imperial Gardens to Cheltenham Festivals and deprive the residents of Cheltenham of the most popular recreational area in Cheltenham?

Response from Cabinet Member Sustainability, Councillor Roger Whyborn

The plans for Imperial Gardens which were put out on consultation were arrived at after considerable deliberation as to the competing demands for their usage. On the one hand, many tens of thousands of the tickets sold for Cheltenham Festivals are bought by citizens of the Borough, whilst on the other hand it is recognised that Imperial Gardens is much loved and well used, and has been dubbed the jewel in Cheltenham's crown by some. We have sought to create a Festival in a Garden approach, and to leave adequate space for circulating and sitting down, and not just for tents. Indeed it is planned to create space around the bar area where currently we have the crazy situation of having to close the garden bar for the Literature festival! Moreover, we propose to reduce the occupancy of the gardens from 107 to 75 days pa. Early indications from the consultation are that we have pitched the design about right, with a generally sympathetic response to the plans displayed.

In a supplementary question, Diane Lewis, asked why the council had allowed Cheltenham Festivals to bring in numerous retail outlets providing food and other services on the Saturday of the Jazz Festival when the justification for the festivals being located in Imperial Gardens was that they provided trade for businesses in Cheltenham.

In response the Cabinet Member said that the agreement with the caterers, Fosters, at the Imperial Gardens and Town Hall, allowed for certain supplementary services to be offered supplying food and drink which Fosters were unable to supply. The Cabinet Member said he couldn’t comment on this particular Saturday.

3.

Question from Fiona Wild

It should be noted that Imperial Gardens has the highest number of visitors of any similar-sized garden in the country and the new design is certainly ingenious. However, if the experiment of spreading the festival tents more widely but sparsely across the whole area (and including Montpellier Gardens) does not work and Ms Renney carries out her threat  to take the Festivals elsewhere, will the (I quote Cllr. Rawson) " historically important gardens", be restored to their former glory.  In other words, is there a Plan B?

Response from Cabinet Member Sustainability, Councillor Roger Whyborn

No, we are not planning on failure, and the proposed design of Imperial Gardens is considered to be good in its own right. However I recognise that usage of the gardens, including Montpellier Gardens, is a moving situation. So if the Council in the future was faced with a decision to further redesign the gardens - for whatever reason, it would base its thinking on the situation at the time.

In a supplementary question, Fiona Wild, held up a photograph showing the damage to a grassed area of Imperial Gardens. She asked whether the council was going to go down as the first in local history to be held over the barrel of a gun by Cheltenham Festivals and allow an act of vandalism on the gardens from which the gardens would never recover.

In response, the Cabinet Member said ‘No’.