Cheltenham Civic Society (CCS) is disappointed with the evident lack of progress on the redevelopment of the Cavendish House site. In April last year, Canada Life assured us that it was in pre-application talks with Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) and expected “to engage with the Civic Society in late May/early June to arrange a briefing, as part of our consultation exercise”. In fact, Canada Life and CBC have been discussing options for the site’s redevelopment for at least 4 years.
CCS Chair, Andrew Booton commented:
“The slow progress demonstrates the opacity and turgidity of the pre-application process and the owner’s lack of commitment to the town. So much property in the town centre is controlled by absentee landlords, who only see buildings like CavHouse as a line on a spreadsheet. As a consequence, the gap between the public’s interest and the owner’s profit motive just gets wider,” said Andrew Booton.
Meanwhile, further down the Promenade, CBC is in talks to sell the Muni (the Council’s office buildings). “We don’t think that anyone would welcome the negative impact on the Prom if the two sites were allowed to be vacant at the same time.
“The pop-up shops in CavHouse at least keep the lights on and no doubt contribute to the building’s rates bill. Without them, the building would have been boarded up for the last 12 months. But the pop-up shops have no guaranteed longevity and could easily be shut down at any time. That is why there needs to be a bigger push to get plans submitted for the site’s redevelopment – because any building work will take a further two years or more.
“The Prom is the economic and social barometer of Cheltenham. People have a strong emotional connection with the Prom, whether or not they shop there. Yet there has been no opportunity in the pre-app discussions for the public to have any say on reshaping one of the most prominent sites on Cheltenham’s most prestigious shopping street.”
The Civic Society would like the site to be redeveloped with a mix of uses, high-quality architecture, public open space and a pedestrian link with Regent Street. In summer last year, the Society presented to the public a conceptual plan that would achieve those aims. It was very well received, gaining an 85.5% support rate from the public and no negative comments. But there was no traction, buy-in or support from CBC, despite the public support.
In response, Canada Life says they have been committed to the spa town for decades.
They have continued to invest in Regent Arcade Shopping Centre and are committed ot bringing forward plans for Cavendish House. A Canada Life Asset Management spokesperson said: “Canada Life is a long-standing and active investor in Cheltenham, as demonstrated by over 20 years of ownership of Regent Arcade Shopping Centre which has seen continual investment to enhance the town centre’s retail and leisure offering.
“We remain committed to bringing forward proposals for the Cavendish House site and continue to have productive conversations with parties including Cheltenham Borough Council. We will seek to engage with wider local stakeholders in due course.”