How Boots Corner is helping area

MANY questions have been asked by members of the public about why the council is promoting the closure of Boots Corner to through traffic, and a lot of misleading statements and fake claims have been made by those opposed to the current road closure.

Here are the facts. The regeneration of Cheltenham town centre is a top corporate priority for the Liberal Democrat administration.

Key to this is the introduction of the Cheltenham Transport Plan which aims to improve the visitor experience to the town by reducing congestion, improving air quality and access along the high street.

It will allow for better connectivity between High Street and the lower High Street for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.

Far more people come into town by bus than any other means. Indeed a survey last year showed that only 23 per cent of people in the town centre had arrived by car.

The trial closure has now been in place for four months.

We understand the genuine concerns that have been raised and the council is now working in partnership with the county council to address these.

In reality the scheme has been very successful. It has wide spread support amongst town centre businesses, public transport operators such as Stagecoach and sustainable transport groups such as Sustrans.

The AA also don’t report any significant increase in town centre congestion.

Footfall in the High Street is higher, air quality improved, and usage of public transport and cycling greater.

Phil Martin, director of Martin Commercial Properties which manages the Brewery scheme, said: “The recent closure of Boots Corner to through traffic has connected the town in a positive way and helped The Brewery Quarter achieve record footfall figures over the summer months.”

Looking forward we aim to continue the relationship with the county council to deliver a world class pedestrianised square at Boots Corner that the town can be truly proud of.