Cheltenham Civic Society concurs with the Planning Inspector’s refusal of Lucky Onion’s planning appeal to keep the tent structures that have filled the forecourts of 125-133 Promenade in Cheltenham town centre since the Covid pandemic.
Civic Society Chair, Andrew Booton, said: “During the pandemic, we supported the need for businesses to use such temporary structures to help them to continue trading whilst maintaining social distancing.
“But once the pandemic was over, we supported the Council in its decision to reject Lucky Onion’s request to keep its tents for another two years. We opposed their appeal and told the inspector that we thought that the tents largely obscure the magnificent row of Grade II* listed buildings behind them. Also that they are an intrusive feature in Imperial Square, which is one of Cheltenham’s most attractive settings.
“So, we are pleased that the inspector agreed with our assessment of the damage the 20 or so tents are doing to Cheltenham’s heritage, and that his decision means that they will now have to come down.
“That said, we are conscious of the need for Lucky Onion to maintain a viable business. They did a great deal before Covid to restore their buildings and bring them back to life – winning one of our Civic Awards as a result. Under Planning Class BB, there is still the option to erect tents under 3m high that cover no more than 50 square metres for 120 days in any 12-month period.”
Click here to read and download the Planning Inspector’s full decision.
