Revival hopes Group calls for fresh ideas to increase pump room profile
ONE of Cheltenham’s bestknown buildings has been given a new lease of life by the coronavirus crisis which has shown it should be used as a heritage, visitor attraction rather than just another wedding venue says a lobby group pushing for change.
Pittville Pump Revival was set up by a group of 40 supporters unhappy at the way the Grade 1 listed building was being run and the chairman says it is underused by the public because people never know whether it’s open or shut.
“The pump room is an iconic image of Cheltenham and the only place in the town where people can take the spa waters,” said chairman David Collins who lives nearby.
“It could be a real asset to the town but at the moment it is neglected and underused and people are reticent to market it as an attraction because they never know if it will be open or closed.”
Originally a sub-committee of Friends of Pittville, the group was set up in spring 2018 following reports that the Pump Room had been temporarily closed without notice.
In 2018 and 2019 the action group carried out mystery shopping exercises to test the visitor experience at the historic building which is marketed as” the perfect Cotswold wedding venue”.
The second survey published in October 2019 shows a slight improvement but the building was only open on two thirds (63 per cent) of the days it was supposed to be when the mystery shoppers called.
Volunteer guides were only available for 37 per cent of visits and people complained about the lack of signage, information and upkeep.
Members of the lobby group have been talking to the trusts at Bath to put together a business plan with the aim of making the building more accessible.
They say Bath makes hundreds of thousands of pounds hiring out the Pump Room to a caterer offering genteel afternoon teas and they proposed the same for Cheltenham which they say has the added attractions of magnificent parkland and car parking.
Mr Collins says nine weddings were held in 2019 and these and other private bookings for the Cheltenham venue could still go ahead because Bath hold such events out of hours and investment would make it more desirable as a venue.
Businessman Mr Collins, 60, said he agreed to become involved with the group because his house is on a route taken by visitors from the town centre to the Pump Rooms.
“I almost feel like apologising to them because even if it is open, they struggle to find the door and then there is nothing to do when they get inside,” he said.
“They make the journey from the town centre, look through the windows and leave disappointed.”
One of only five Grade I listed buildings in Cheltenham, it has been in public ownership since it was purchased by the borough council 130 years ago and was once a costume museum with statues and art work inside.
It is now run by the Cheltenham Trust which also manages Cheltenham Town Hall, Leisure at Cheltenham, Prince of Wales Stadium and The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum on behalf of the council.
Members of Pittville Recovery believe the set up whereby the council pays for the upkeep of the building does not provide an incentive for the Trust to be as imaginative as those behind attractions such as Sandford Parks Lido.
They believe the naturally alkaline spa water could be bottled and sold to visitors in a shop as part of a commercial enterprise and claim when they did a blind taste test with trustees it compared favourably.
The Revival group’s last annual report says the issue demonstrates “a failure of imagination and ambition on the part of the building’s owners and managers” and calls on the Cheltenham Trust to stick to the rules of its own charter.
It adds: “Ironically, the COVID-19 pandemic has made a significant contribution to the Pump Room’s revival. In May 2020 we submitted a proposal to the Cheltenham Trust for ‘Tea at Pittville Pump Room’.
“In July The Cheltenham Trust opened an outdoor ‘Heritage Cafe’ with seating provided in the porticoes and on the forecourt, along with a musical events programme.
“This initiative has been extremely popular, and we have supported and promoted it.”
Darren Knight, the borough council’s director and lead commissioner for The Cheltenham Trust said he has only met the Revival Group once in July 2020 and said the surveys pre-date the start of the current CEO Laurie Bell or reflect the improvements that have made over the last 18 months and particularly this year.
He says it is unrealistic to compare Bath and Cheltenham as Bath is a UNESCO world heritage site attracting one million people a year and the Pump Room is also located near Bath Abbey, the Roman Baths the Thermae Bath Spa and the coach drop off point for the main shopping street,
He said Pre-covid-19 the trust published its five year business plan for the venues it manages and despite the unprecedented and challenging year attracted 140,000 visitors since July to the outdoor cafe.
He confirmed the council gave the trust a management agreement fee of £811,281 for 2020/21 for all five buildings and added: “The Trust model provides greater resilience, economies of scale, and opportunities for growth and sustainability, which is evidenced by the improvements the Trust has delivered.
“The Trust has exceeded performance of the management agreement throughout a very challenging 2020, and has delivered a new model and vibrant success at the Pump Room. The Council credits and values the hard work and agility of the Trustees, the CEO, Laurie Bell and her team for their phenomenal results this year.
“The Trust has the full support of the Council and looks forward to building on the results of this year to deliver a sustainable model for the future that will benefit the economy and cultural offer for Cheltenham.”
They make the journey from the town centre, look through the windows and leave disappointed
David Collins