New row of spa town flats 'looks like a prison'

A block of homes being built in the centre of a spa town has been likened to a prison or a 1970s office block.

The Cheltenham Civic Society said it was frustrated that the block of 147 apartments does not fit in with the Regency architecture for which the town is known.

It has likened the flats, which are being built opposite the town's Brewery Quarter, to forced labour camps and prisons across the Soviet Union.

The block's developer Wavensmere Homes said the £50m scheme was not yet finished and was still "a few months off the first plots being ready for occupation".

The flats are in a conservation area close to Pitville and Clarence Square, home to some of the most traditional Georgian and Regency-style buildings in the town.

"We're sitting in one of the finest parts in Cheltenham," said Andrew Booton, chair of the town's civic society.

"We were expecting plans for this area to reflect [Pitville and Clarence Square] but instead we have got something that has been described as a 1970s office block [and] a prison."

Booton has called for stricter planning rules to be put in place by Cheltenham Borough Council.

"It has considerable planning powers and seems to be quite timid in setting high standards," he said.

"You wouldn't find this sort of scheme coming forward in Oxford or Bath."

The response from residents and visitors has been mixed.

Steve Bastin, from Tewkesbury, described the flats as "an eyesore".

He said the developers should "knock it down and build something more suitable".

Olivia Pope, from Cheltenham, said the block of flats looked "displaced" while her fiance Richard said it "should be built in a Regency style".

But James Bobbett said the building "does fit into the area" and the development would help people who want to get on the property ladder.

Wavensmere Homes said the homes were "designed to sensitively enhance the street scene, including the Grade II-listed St Margaret's Terrace".

Tracey Birkinshaw, director of planning & building control at Cheltenham Borough Council, said the scheme was not yet complete.

"The proposal was carefully considered through the planning process, balancing design, heritage and the need to bring a prominent brownfield site back into use and we would encourage people to reserve judgment until the development is finished," she said.

However, council leader Rowena Hay recently said the development would provide first-time buyers with an opportunity to get on the housing ladder.

"Right in the heart of Cheltenham, these new affordable homes will provide excellent value and sustainable living for local people," she said.

Almost 2,000 people have registered their interest in the homes, with the apartments expected to be ready for occupation later in the summer.

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