Scheme will help site and also industry

THE future of our town centre will rely on a number of factors. Making the most of what we’ve already got, creating more attractive areas and encouraging new businesses to start here are high on the list of priorities.

We also need to build on our flourishing creative sector.

For some time, Cheltenham Borough Council has been working to achieve this on a specific site, next to the Minster and the Library.

If you were a visitor to the town, would you easily happen upon the Minster? Even if you did, would you be impressed by its surroundings? The answer to both questions is probably ‘no.’

We also know that Cheltenham has a thriving creative sector, with startups and consultancies springing up and in need of modern, flexible workspaces to hold meetings and collaborate to grow.

On top of all this, people have long argued that we need another place in the town centre to act as a creative hub with a performance space.

It’s therefore really good news that after a lot of work behind the scenes, the Workshop Group scheme for the site next to the Minster has been given approval.

The scheme will replace an ugly and largely disused car park with a new development to bolster the local business community and improve the look and feel of the area.

After some complex negotiations between the borough council, the county council (which controls the land) and others, the Workshop Group planning application was lodged and given the go-ahead by councillors on the panning committee.

The two councils will need to work together to ensure that people who use the Minster and require blue badge parking spaces are accommodated after the development is in place.

That’s an important part of balancing different needs in the area and I’m sure that issue can be solved.

For now, we can look forward to a development to revamp a key town centre site, boosting the economy and improving a key heritage site.