Cheltenham campaigners are pleading authorities to boycott building on heritage site

Cheltenham Civic Society (CCS) calls on officials to reject plans to build homes on Cheltenham heritage-site.

Cheltenham Borough Council and Cheshire West are planning to build 215 homes on Lansdown Industrial Estate which is home to the former H. H Martyn and CO. Ltd. factory buildings.

The estate is owned by the two councils and makes up an investment portfolio which contributes to paying pensions for over 100,000 people.

However, CCS has asked Cheshire West and Cheltenham Borough to reject the scheme stating they shouldn’t be able to ‘destroy’ their heritage.

Cheltenham Civic Society’s Chair, Andrew Booton said: ‘There is no way that Chester would allow such a poor-quality housing development to desecrate any of its heritage. So, we don’t think they should allow their pension fund to foist this scheme on Cheltenham.’

Mr Booton says a document has been sent to councillors which outlines why the site is historically important, criticises the poor quality of Chester’s housing scheme and draws attention to the poor consultation and heritage appraisal.  

Within the document Booton says: ‘Cheshire West and Chester City Council must submit a proposal that respects Cheltenham’s heritage and is of the quality that Chester itself would except such an application in its own city.’   

The document presented by Mr Booton also highlights the environmental damage the councils will cause if they tear down the factory buildings.

‘To achieve net zero, we must find new uses for our old buildings, not simply demolish them to completely redevelop sites,’ he adds ‘The size, build quality, architectural features and layout of these older buildings lends them to reuse.’

According to CCS there are thousands of tonnes of carbon that can be released from these buildings; therefore, demolition is the least sustainable solution.

Mr Booton said: ‘We are not against the redevelopment of this site, but we want to see it done responsibly with due respect to our remaining industrial heritage.’

CCS have proposed an alternative approach that could be as financially rewarding to the pension fund.

‘We would like Chester to engage properly with key interest groups such as the Civic Society, reconsider their plans and come back with a much better scheme next year,’ Mr Booton said.

Photo by Richard Bell