Paving ‘mess’ Fears High Street look is ‘going backwards’
ASECTION of Cheltenham High Street which was paved at the cost of nearly £1m just three years ago risks becoming a patched-up eyesore again.
The area of paving slabs outside John Lewis was redone in late 2018 at a cost of £929,000 to Cheltenham Borough Council to smarten up the pedestrianised district outside the £23m department store when it opened in October that year.
But now patches of black asphalt are re-appearing following works under the surface, and many feel the area risks becoming a mess of both paving slabs and black tar like the surface of nearby Cambray Place.
Mike Healy, who lives in Prestbury said: “It’s got quite a lot of people wound up. The work is probably done by utilities, and some, like fibre cables, is needed - but the mess they’ve left behind is terrible.
“I think the responsibility should lie with whoever digs up the surface, but they should be made to put it back properly to the standard it was before.”
Mr Healy said he, along with many others, was pleased when the work was done in 2018 - but he fears it’s heading in the wrong direction: “There was talk about then going to improve Cambray Place round the corner, which is a real mess, but it looks like it’s going backwards, and the High Street will become more like Cambray Place.”
He pointed out that Cheltenham High Street was doing better than many others, but allowing the street surface to become an eyesore would undermine that.
Writing about the issue in a My Next Door online neighbourhood forum Trish Kent said she saw some of the work being done: “I work in Cambray and witnessed the utility company digging up the reasonably good slabs.”
Trish said she expected to see the slabs replaced but was shocked to see the black surface patching which she described as “horrible”.
She added: “I can’t believe the council allowed that to happen, and where have those slabs gone?”
Although Cheltenham Borough Council paid for the work in 2018, it is Gloucestershire County Council, as the highways authority, which is responsible for maintaining and repairing the High Street, even the pedestrianised parts.
The two authorities say they are aware of the patches, and they want to make sure they are put right.
A statement from both councils said: “Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucestershire County Council are aware of several issues in the area involving a variety of different parties with responsibilities and we are working closely together to get these resolved for the benefit of residents in Cheltenham.
“Third party providers who carry out underground maintenance and improvement works are required to reinstate with satisfactory paving stone replacement. If this is not completed within an appropriate timescale the county council can and will enforce.
“It is sometimes necessary to make temporary repairs using tarmac to make an area safe until permanent reinstatement takes place.”
Cheltenham council’s cabinet member for culture, wellbeing and business, Victoria Atherstone added: “We invest a great deal into our town and Cheltenham’s town centre is recognised as a driver of economic recovery, which will help to secure the future vitality and the wider economic growth of the borough.
“We need all parties, including utility companies and other service providers to work collaboratively to look after our public spaces.”
It looks like it’s going backwards, and the High Street will become more like Cambray Place
Mike Healy