Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Major Developments and Housing Regeneration has happy to report two very positive items:

-       the recent Planning Committee approval of the outline for part of the Golden Valley site, with Members extremely supportive of this incredible investment in Cheltenham.  It will bring much-needed homes, careers, schools and more to the area, and work on the detailed application is now progressing apace;

-       letters inviting neighbours of 320 Swindon Road to a ‘meet the builder’ event have been sent, and it is hoped that construction will commence in Autumn 2025.  This development will provide 17 affordable homes and apartments, for social rent and shared ownership, and will take full advantage of the £2.8m funding. 

The Leader commented that this site has stood empty for many years, and one of the key reasons for bringing CBH back in house was to deliver more affordable housing for residents – and that is what we are doing.

The Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities reported on the following:

-       she is pleased to be taking forward a new, collaborative safer streets initiative, together with BID, the police, and other partners, who will be on high alert for checking anti-social behaviour, loitering, intimidation, and protecting shops and businesses in the town centre;

-       a final shout-out for the Party in the Park, a free family event in Pittville Park on 06 August, with 50 free activities, including huge inflatables, theatre performances, arts and crafts, and sports.  There will be a quiet hour at 10am, before the main event 11am-7pm.

The Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Culture, Wellbeing and Public Open Space said he has attended many meetings and is discussing some exciting developments to be shared soon, but in the meantime, shared the following:

-       he has met with Cllr Joe Harris, County Council Cabinet Member for Highways Maintenance and Communications, and officers to reset CBC’s relationship with the council, and work in a positive new direction for the town centre and public realm, together with the Civic Society, BID, residents and businesses.  It is clear that residents and businesses expect and deserve an improved public realm, and this is a great opportunity to work together and get the town to the level it should be;

-       32 Lions at Large have been installed across Cheltenham and Gloucester, an interesting art trail in support of Cheltenham and Gloucester hospitals charity and The Big Space Cancer Appeal.  The trail is a fun, free family activity for residents and visitors, and will also support local businesses by attracting people to spend time in town. An app and a map are available.

The Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency reported several recent and inspiring events:

-       the Changemakers Sustainability Showcase at The Wilson, involving children from five local schools.  It was attended by the Mayor and a fantastic event;  

-       he attended Leckhampton High School to hear the results of their active travel survey, which have now been passed on to Councillor Horwood, as county, borough and parish councillor for the area.  The activity among these young people is inspiring;

-       a community energy day, organised by the Southwest Net 0 Hub, and attended by representatives from the Department for Energy Security and Net 0.  He was impressed by the scale of some of the schemes, including a windmill on the Severn estuary, which generates huge amounts of money for the local community each year, and a solar farm on the Somerset Levels, which has been running for 10 years and has generated £1m for Bristol community organisations.  Community energy groups in our community are embryonic, but he hopes to increase these and make them a  reality for Cheltenham;

-       the launch of the tree strategy consultation, which was excellent and well-attended;

-       he has been making connections, through the Climate Leadership Gloucestershire meeting, and spent time with Councillor Horwood, the county Cabinet Member for Nature, Climate and Waste Reduction.  He also spoke with Councillor Helen Davies from Babergh District Council at the excellent LGA training session for new Cabinet Members, where it was fascinating to hear about the challenges faced by councils round the country and realise that Cheltenham is doing very well.

The Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling, Parks, Gardens, and Public Greenspace shared two positive news items:

-       seven of Cheltenham’s parks have recently been awarded green flag status, a great accolade which sets the bar for the quality and standard of parks across the country.  CBC always performs well, reflecting the strong community involvement, and also the biodiversity, environmental management around climate change adaption, maintenance and health and safety awareness which makes our parks welcoming, safe and accessible – well done to everyone involved.  There are a lot more parks in Cheltenham, and to be hoped that they might be considered in future;

-       the recent launch of the tree strategy highlighted the benefits of substantial trees in many parts of the town, but also that much of the town is devoid of tree cover.  Part of the strategy is to introduce tree cover to those areas, to benefit residents’ mental health, increase wildlife habitat, and provide welcome shade.

He also advised the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets that he will shortly be putting in a bid for funding to dredge the many lakes and ponds in parks which are suffering from years of silt and debris build-up.  This has an impact on diversity, nature, water capacity and more, and needs some investment.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets also welcomed the recent planning committee decision on Golden Valley as a monumental moment, following many years of planning and now moving forward with the vision of providing a huge boost to the local economy as well as revenue to the council for delivery of services. 

The Leader had the following items to share:

-       regarding the marketing of the airport, it is good to note that a preferred bidder has been found, with due diligence currently underway before the sale can be confirmed.  This has created relief for businesses at the airport, to know who the bidder is and what that might entail;  

-       at the recent LGA conference, the Southwest Councils Network held its AGM, where she was pleased to accept the Membership Development Charter on behalf of the council.  Thanks to Councillor Chelin for leading on this, and Democratic Services for supporting.  A communications piece will be issued, highlighting the benefits and the importance of a good working relationship between officers and Members.  She said new Members can be a little bit overwhelmed by all they have to take in, and we have a good package and offer for them;  

-       she corrected an earlier comment about 320 Swindon Road and the decision to bring housing services back in-house, saying that although the decision was made in 2023, the transfer was done very quickly in only seven months, so in fact bringing forward this development barely a year in is even more impressive;

-       she encouraged Members and anyone watching to sign up for the local government reorganisation, saying it is important that public questions feed into what comes next. This will ultimately be a government decision, so this exercise is more engagement than consultation, but gathering people’s thoughts is important;

-       following on from the announcement of a local government review, the governance review consultation closes in a few days, and people are encourage to add their thoughts if they have not already done so;

-       the resident survey is now active, both via phone calls and on line.  She encourage everyone to take part, and looked forward to the results in due course.