An “ironic” precedent established by Cheltenham planners approving a pergola outside 131 The Promenade is now being invoked to justify a new development adjacent to one of the town’s most iconic landmarks.
The Cheltenham Trust, a charity established by the Borough Council to manage cultural and leisure venues, has applied for permission to convert the land outside the grade I listed Pittville Pump Room, an 1830 historic building, into a temporary café serving hot and cold food and drinks.
The proposal includes keeping the portable toilets and storage containers left from the temporary Orangery café installed during the coronavirus pandemic. The Trust plans to introduce an Airstream trailer-style unit to serve refreshments.
READ MORE: Ofsted Confirms Belmont School in Cheltenham Retains Outstanding Status
READ MORE: Abbey Clancy Sets Ground Rules After Feeling Ignored by Husband Peter Crouch
As part of their application, the Trust references the approval earlier this year of Julian Dunkerton’s outdoor dining plans at 131 Promenade. This earlier decision drew concern from conservationists regarding its impact on nearby listed buildings and their historic setting.
Cheltenham Civic Society had warned at the time that approving the 131 Promenade pergola risked setting a precedent enabling a variety of unsympathetic structures alongside heritage sites. Despite these warnings, councillors overruled planning officers’ recommendations, establishing what the Society calls an “unwelcome” precedent.
Andrew Booton, chairman of the Civic Society, expressed surprise that the Borough Council itself is now the first to rely on this precedent — within weeks of the 131 Promenade approval — for a scheme potentially threatening the setting of the town’s most treasured grade I building.
Booton criticized the quality of debate and scrutiny during the 131 Promenade approval, which he believes has ironically opened the door to compromising Cheltenham’s heritage. He acknowledged the Cheltenham Trust’s fundraising responsibilities but stressed these must be balanced against safeguarding the town’s historic assets.
He further noted that the Trust’s claim that the café is temporary is misleading. The previous café operated for about four years, and the new proposal seeks permission extending until 2029, coinciding with the Trust’s lease expiration.
Moreover, despite offers of assistance from the Civic Society and others to improve the Pump Room’s facilities and setting, little permanent enhancement has occurred. The Trust’s plan to use an American-style ‘Rockabilly’ Airstream trailer reveals a disconnect from the heritage value of the site, especially its quintessential English Regency architecture.
The proposal also includes camouflaging toilets and storage containers with inexpensive timber cladding, which Booton views as a missed opportunity for thoughtful heritage-sensitive design rather than a “make do and mend” approach.
Chris Gomm, Cheltenham’s head of planning, clarified: “The council is currently considering a planning application submitted by the Cheltenham Trust — an independent charity managing several town venues — to site a trailer near the Pump Room for use as a seasonal café servery. Consent is sought for a temporary period until October 2029 and for retaining some mobile toilets and a storage facility. The application is under scrutiny, and a decision will be made in due course.”