Agenda item

One motion was received.

Motion A

Proposed by: Councillor Julian Tooke

Seconded by: Councillor Richard Pineger

Historic Cheltenham and the public realm

This Council:

Approves that the Leader of CBC will write to the Cabinet Member for Highways at GCC and request the following:

1.    That GCC Highways recognises the unique historic public realm context of Cheltenham in all street works it conducts or over which it has oversight.

2.    That GCC Highways accepts that when it does repairs in Cheltenham’s historic environments, such as conservation areas or near listed buildings, it has a moral responsibility to do work which is sensitive to the public realm context in which they are working.

3.    That GCC works collaboratively with custodians of our civic realm and local, experienced partners (such as Cheltenham BID and Cheltenham Civic Society) to ensure that, wherever possible, the right materials are used in the right contexts.

4.    That if repairs are done to streets or pavements, asphalt is not used to replace paving stones or slabs in conservation areas or near listed buildings.

5.    That if asphalt absolutely has to be used in an emergency in conservation areas or near listed buildings (eg to replace a broken paving block), GCC will subsequently ensure replacement of the black asphalt with suitably matching blocks or slabs in a timely fashion.

Councillor Tooke commented that everyday beauty is a right for every human being and everyone has the right to gain pleasure from shared spaces.  He explained that councils have a duty to ensure that those shared spaces, or civic realms, give visual pleasure whenever possible. He highlighted that Cheltenham is a beautiful town with 2602 listed buildings and an additional 450 buildings which, whilst not statutorily listed, are locally identified as being of historic value, and 7 precious conservation areas adding up to 688 hectares or 1700 acres. Historic England’s ‘Streets for all’ report states: ‘It is not only fine buildings that give England’s historic towns and villages their special character. Just

as important are their public spaces – the streets and paths through which people move and the squares and precincts in which they connect.’ The report makes it clear that the public realm is not just defined by its architecture, it is also defined by the streets and pavements which frame the architecture because as the report says: ‘Paving materials are the platform of the built environment. They form the plinth on which buildings are set and the surfaces on which people and traffic interact’. England has a rich tradition of paving materials and methods. This motion seeks to halt immediately the passage of the ever-creeping asphalt on our pavements in our most precious heritage contexts. Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) holds responsibility highway repairs and for the work carried out on pavements by utility companies.  The motion requests that the Leader of the Council writes to GCC to halt the use of asphalt on pavements which does not match paving stones all together next to listed buildings and in conservation areas.

Members raised the following points:

-       Maintaining the beauty of Cheltenham benefits residents, visitors, tourism and local businesses.  It provides a positive tourism and shopping experience that will help build economic development.

-       A partner approach with the Civic Society and Cheltenham Bid is a positive step as they share the Council’s passion for improving the town centre. 

-       It is disappointing that a proactive response has not happened in the past when issues with pavements have been raised.

-       Given the rules and responsibilities placed on residents living within conservation areas, it is disappointing that GCC and the utility companies have not taken an equally sympathetic approach and invested in the area.

-       Poor quality pavements require greater management and cause more resources to be diverted.  It also has a detrimental impact on residents and visitors with mobility issues.

-       Consideration should be given to other techniques to paving around trees, including the use of paving and lowering tree roots.

-       Where possible removed paving stones should be replaced.

-       It is important that the positive relationships built between CBC and GCC officers continues.

-       Providing beautiful public spaces can have a levelling up impact for those at the bottom of the economic scale.

-       It is important that repairs are properly audited to ensure that they are being carried out properly.

RESOLVED (unanimously) THAT

the Leader of CBC be requested to write to the Cabinet Member for Highways at GCC and request the following:

-       That GCC Highways recognises the unique historic public realm context of Cheltenham in all street works it conducts or over which it has oversight.

-       That GCC Highways accepts that when it does repairs in Cheltenham’s historic environments, such as conservation areas or near listed buildings, it has a moral responsibility to do work which is sensitive to the public realm context in which they are working.

-       That GCC works collaboratively with custodians of our civic realm and local, experienced partners (such as Cheltenham BID and Cheltenham Civic Society) to ensure that, wherever possible, the right materials are used in the right contexts.

-       That if repairs are done to streets or pavements, asphalt is not used to replace paving stones or slabs in conservation areas or near listed buildings.

-       That if asphalt absolutely has to be used in an emergency in conservation areas or near listed buildings (eg to replace a broken paving block), GCC will subsequently ensure replacement of the black asphalt with suitably matching blocks or slabs in a timely fashion.