The Newsletter of Civic Society | Issue 20 | September 2020

Your regular update on how we are working to keep CHELTENHAM a great place to thrive

Pate’s Grammar School’s 20th-century stained glass window September’s Heritage Open Days – walks & talks, visits and now digital

Not surprisingly, the Covid-19 Heritage Open Days’ national theme pandemic has had a considerable this year is ‘Hidden Nature’ and this is CHELTENHAM impact on all of the Civic Society’s reflected locally in several of our events. HERITAGE events this year. But in the face of that, One of the highlights will be a guided OPEN DAYS 11– 20 September our dedicated Heritage Open Days’ walk by Cheltenham Borough Council’s 2020 team has pulled out all the stops to Senior Trees Officer, Chris Chavasse, bring you an exciting variety of walks who will be talking about the many fine & talks, visits and – for the first time – specimen trees in Montpellier Gardens. online presentations and videos. Pilley Bridge Nature Reserve will Needless to say, all the activities during also be the subject of a short audio- the festival from 11-20 September will be visual presentation that illustrates the strictly limited in numbers and subject Reserve’s history and its remarkable to all the essential Covid-19 social variety of wildlife. restrictions, including face masks and An ancillary and purely local theme this distancing. year is ‘Secret Places’. One of the events But the complete programme of digital under this theme is a guided walk titled events will be available on our website ‘Cheltenham Backwaters’ led by Mary for all to enjoy at home during the 10- Moxham. This will explore the little day festival. known route of the River Chelt as it flows through the town centre. For example, Cheltenham Playhouse’s contribution to Heritage Open Days One other must-see discussion is about how Pate’s Grammar School first This year’s Heritage Open Days brochure lists will be a series of short films about the all the events, both digital and actual. As numbers are history of this Grade II listed building’s obtained and then later managed to retain strictly limited, free tickets for the walks & talks and life through from a salts laboratory in its stained glass window (see above). some of the visits must be pre-booked and collected up to one day prior to the walk or event from: 1807 to slipper baths, swimming pool, Details of all of these activities are The Suffolk Anthology medical spa and now theatre. outlined overleaf. 17 Suffolk Parade, Cheltenham GL50 2AE

What’s in OurTown this time Heritage Open Days events pages 2-3 Planners just need to plan – Oakhurst Rise pages 6-7 Cheltenham’s geographical evolution pages 4-5 Civic Society news page 8 Cheltenham’s Heritage Open Days 2020 11-20 SEPTEMBER LOCATIONS

SATURDAY 12th | 10am-2.30pm THURSDAY 17th | 6.30-8pm Cambray Baptist Church Cheltenham Minster Cambray Place GL50 1JS Well Walk, off Clarence Street GL50 3JX A Grade II listed Baptist church built in Ringing of the bells in St Mary’s, the only the 1850s. medieval church in the town. Socially-distanced tours may be available. Please check our website to confirm opening times and to check whether you need to pre-book a visit: www.cambray.org

FRIDAY 11th | 3.15pm and SUNDAY 13th | 3pm Christ Church – talk: War Widows and The Whishes SUNDAY 20th | 2.30pm Malvern Road GL50 2JH Cheltenham Minster Guided tours inside the church by local historian Neela Mann in which she Well Walk, off Clarence Street GL50 3JX reveals the stories behind the memorial tablets. Pre-booking essential. Talk (to be confirmed).

HOW TO BOOK It is essential to pre-book and collect Booking and collection of tickets can be Please ensure face coverings are your free tickets for all guided walks made in person from: worn when making your booking! and some talks. Entry to all walks is The Suffolk Anthology, 17 Suffolk Our Heritage Open Days brochure can by ticket only. Bookings can be made Parade, Cheltenham GL50 2AE be downloaded from our website at: from Monday 17 August until one day Open Monday-Saturday 9.30am-4pm www.cheltenhamcivicsociety.org.uk before the event itself.

WALKS & TALKS

SATURDAY 12th | 11am and SATURDAY 20th | 11am SATURDAY 12th | 2pm and th The Making of the SUNDAY 20 | 2pm Honeybourne Line Spas, Squabbles and A 1-hour talk with stories behind the Slave-owners making of the railway line, which will Henry Thompson and his son mostly be given from sitting in Winston Pearson gave us The Rotunda and Churchill Memorial Gardens. Lansdown. This 1-hour (approx.)

th Led by Neela Mann | 10 places walk tells the story 1800-1850 of FRIDAY 11 | 10am their paths, pitfalls and particular Gustav Holst’s Cheltenham residents of Lansdown. A 2-hour walk around places in Led by Neela Mann | 10 places Cheltenham associated with Gustav Holst and his forebears. Led by Alan Parker | 15 places

FRIDAY 11th | 10am and SATURDAY 19th | 10am

Skillicorne to Skillicorne th A 1-hour walk exploring sites connected SATURDAY 12 | 2pm to the ‘father of Cheltenham’ (who Regency Cheltenham developed the spa) and those of his A 90-minute walk exploring the descendants. development of this Regency spa town. Led by Neela Mann | 10 places Led by Mary Moxham | 15 places

2 WALKS & TALKS CONT. DIGITAL EVENTS

Due to Covid-19, many organisations aren’t able to throw open their doors and welcome visitors. But many have contributed to Heritage Open Days through a variety of digital media – see: www.cheltenhamcivicsociety.org.uk/events/hods/ Also keep an eye on /Cheltenham Heritage Open Days for extra content.

PDF PRESENTATION SHORT FILM Cheltenham Croquet Club Parmoor House Cheltenham Croquet Club is celebrating A short film about the architectural its 150th birthday in 2020 and must splendour of Lypiatt Terrace, with a visit surely be one of the oldest sports clubs inside the beautifully preserved Parmoor in Gloucestershire. House, home of the Cheltenham Civic Society. SUNDAY 13th | 2pm PDF PRESENTATION Cheltenham Backwaters Cheltenham Ladies’ College VIDEO DISCUSSION – Exploring the River Chelt Dating from 1873, the Pate’s Stained Glass Window A 90-minute walk following part of the interior shows the Adrian Barlow and Rob Rimell discuss River Chelt, from Cox’s Meadow through influence of the Arts how the window was commissioned in the town centre and out towards Arle. and Crafts Movement the 1960s, who designed it and how it Led by Mary Moxham | 15 places and the theme of was rescued from the building that was ‘hidden nature’ can be demolished in the 1990s. found in many of the

th decorative elements TUESDAY 15 | 5.15pm contained within the original buildings. Trees in Montpellier Gardens SHORT FILMS A 1-hour guide to the trees in Montpellier Gardens. Cheltenham Playhouse A series of short films about the history Led by Chris Chavasse | 15 places of this Grade II listed building’s life from 1807-2020 as a salts laboratory, slipper baths, swimming pool, medical spa and now theatre. AUDIO-VISUAL PRESENTATION SHORT FILMS Pilley Bridge Nature Reserve During the Covid-19 lockdown many A Cheltenham Scrapbook have valued the importance of local A series of short films exploring lost green spaces. One of these is Pilley stories of Cheltenham’s heritage. Come Bridge Nature Reserve. This short SATURDAY 19th | 11am and with us on our fascinating journeys as audio-visual presentation describes its we dive into the archives of the Civic SUNDAY 20th | 11am history and celebrates the remarkable Society and see where it leads! wildlife that inhabits this special place. Naunton Park – the town’s ‘Garden of Eden’ SHORT FILM PDF PRESENTATION Known as ‘The Garden of Eden’ by its Cheltenham Synagogue St Christopher’s Church Victorian benefactor, Naunton Park A short film about the history, heritage, remains one of Cheltenham’s delightful An introduction to the stained glass culture and community of this unique in St Christopher’s Church by the green spaces. This 75-minute walk Grade II Regency Synagogue. celebrates its gardens, alms-houses, renowned stained glass artist Thomas recreation ground, and adjacent school Denny. (used as a WWI Red Cross Hospital). PDF PRESENTATION Led by local writer and historian Hidden Lives: Botanists, PDF PRESENTATION David Elder | 15 places Buildings and Bankruptcy St Luke’s Church A look at the lives, houses and legacies In 1835, Francis Close – considered to of some of the accomplished amateur be ‘the perpetual curate of Cheltenham’ SATURDAY 19th | 2pm botanists who have lived in or near the – had the vision to open ‘a strictly poor Booze, Balloons and Burials Estate. man’s church’ – a fascinating building. Stories of the development of the All of the above will be available to view on our website from 11-20 September. Lower High Street area, with special reference to the Dobell family. This Heritage Open Days are organised by Cheltenham Civic Society, with support 1-hour walk takes in the gas works, and sponsorship from Cheltenham Borough Council. If visiting a building or a short way up the Gloucester Road, joining one of the walks, please follow the guidelines to keep everybody safe. Winston Churchill Memorial Gardens, Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation be aware that events may have to be the Honeybourne Line and some of the cancelled at short notice. streets surrounding Honeybourne Gate. Visit: www.cheltenhamcivicsociety.org.uk/events/hods/ for updates. Led by Neela Mann | 10 places

3 A look at Cheltenham’s geographical evolution By Mike Rigby, a local historian and new member of the Civic Society During lockdown, I have spent more time than might otherwise be reasonable looking at old maps of Cheltenham. What follows are the musings of a local historian on the historical geography of the town and its significance for Cheltenham today.

The influence of Road – skirted the town Beyond the spa wells, villas in the 50s, 60s and history on the modern and even the local road prestigious suburbs 70s. These initiatives geography of the town to Gloucester made its were built to the south have been successful soon becomes apparent. way south from some in the first half of the enough to result in The street plan of the way up the road to century and included a significant population town has been guided Tewkesbury and, later, mix of stucco terraces growth - 50,000 in 1935; and constrained by from the very bottom of with small gardens, 115,000, in a slightly historic field and estate the lower High Street. and detached villas expanded area, in boundaries and rights of Development to the with, typically, large 2011. Car usage has, of way. Many streets and south of the main street gardens. Four of these: course, increased much groups of houses – even was limited, by both the Montpellier, Lansdown, more rapidly. Access to those built in the last pattern of land holding The Park and Bayshill, shopping opportunities fifty years - conform and the marshy course made extensive use of raises traffic circulation exactly to the field of the River Chelt, but the available land. The problems as does boundaries shown on the enclosure of the charm of Cheltenham the journey to work. earlier maps. In my own town’s open fields and lies in these open New housing at area of town, the area the sale of land held tree-lined suburbs, but the periphery and between by the Earl of Essex in their large extent has backfilling in the central village, Pilley and the first decade of the presented problems for areas has generated new nineteenth century development over the traffic that the town and old developments made building land years. struggles to manage are transected by a available. The new Much of our town was without degradation of pattern of pathways building to the south designed and built for a the Regency heritage which are the remains of the High Street did visiting and residential The town sees itself of old routes between not improve north- leisured class that as a tourist centre, the settlements. south transit, though. has long since left. It a regional shopping Spotting these micro- Developments such as has been necessary centre and an attractive level examples is very Cambray, the Walks and to continually refocus location for relocated satisfying but we might Rides close to the spa the town’s economy and new commercial also consider influence wells, The Promenade to take account of ventures. In support of history on the and Royal Crescent, current conditions. of this view, it has larger-scale physical were not intended for In the first half of the long traded on the infrastructure of the through traffic. Indeed, nineteenth century as quality of its historical modern town. The through traffic was the popularity of the infrastructure. The pattern of roads, for forbidden or actively spas faded, wealthy brand is leafy, green, example. discouraged for much permanent residents Regency Cheltenham The town was famously of the century. replaced the seasonal and this is part of the described by Leland, The dominance of this visitors and desirable town’s pitch to tourists, in the 1530s, as ‘a long east-west axis based centres of education shoppers, developers toune’. There was on High Street and maintained the town’s and potential almost no building in the lack of any direct national reputation. employers. These the town beyond the north-south link in the During the 1930s there ambitions are to some High Street and its town centre persists was a furious campaign extent countervailing. burgage plots until and continues to to attract light industry. Looking at the maps but desirable and the late eighteenth complicate plans for In the post-war years, and following the protected, townscape. century. In terms of traffic management and the town sought to progress of the town’s The tensions arising regional geography, the pedestrianisation. attract white-collar growth over the last from what was, what town was not on any employers. It is now 250 years helps us is and what we might significant north-south [Dear Reader, you something of a surprise to understand the corporately wish for route which might can insert your own to look at photos root of some of the in the future will keep have modified this showing the poor state problems of operating our planners busy for axis. One north-south opinion of The Boots of repair of many of a modern economy many years to come. route – The Old Bath Corner Affair here.] our finest terraces and within an outdated, Mike Rigby

4 1809 map of Cheltenham taken from ‘A Treatise on Cheltenham Waters & Bilious Diseases’ by Thomas Jameson. Note that the now standard practice of orientation with north at the top was not then established.

‘Know Your Place’ provides a great way of exploring the historical geography of the town, a neighbourhood, a street – or even a house – through a series of historic maps presented online at: https://maps.bristol.gov.uk/kyp/?edition=glos Here one can search for a location and see, side-by-side, any two of a selection of maps dating from the 1850s to the present day. These large-scale maps can then be rolled over each other or overlain at varying transparencies to see exactly how the built landscape changed between the chosen dates.

5 A CURRENT CASE STUDY : OAKHURST RISE How not to do planning By Adrian Phillips, a member of the Civic Society’s Planning Forum

The Civic Society supports the planning system as a way to make Cheltenham a better place to live. But this is an account of how planning should not work. While I am critical of the role played – or rather not played – by CBC’s planners, I recognise the resource constraints they operate under, and that my call for a stronger, pro-active use of planning powers in the public interest may not chime with the current government’s way of thinking. Also, I am not discussing the merits of the scheme here but the way that it has been processed.

This story concerns the development of an attractive piece of land in OAKHURST RISE SITE LOCATION Charlton Kings, north of St. Edward’s Preparatory School on the south slope of Battledown. (For planning purposes, it’s called “Land Adjacent to BATTLEDOWN Oakhurst Rise”.) APPROACH The school has had the benefit of this area on its doorstep but it is not formally used for recreation. It consists of 4.3 hectares (ha) of open land BATTLEDOWN HALES ROAD OAKHURST under hay separated into two parcels by a mature hedge and trees. 18 RISE individual trees and eight groupings of trees are covered by TPOs (Tree Preservation Orders). The area also has other important heritage, wildlife LONDON ROAD and landscape values.

Though it is not open to the public, it is regarded by those living nearby ROAD BEAUFORT St Edward’s in Battledown as an important amenity. It lies within the boundaries of School the Principal Urban Area defined in the emerging Cheltenham local plan, ASHLEY ROAD where the potential for development is recognised. GREENWAY LANE The land is owned by the Carmelite Charitable Trust (CCT), who are also RYEWORTH ROAD the school’s landlords. The CCT has offered to transfer the school site to St Sixways A40 Edward’s if they can develop the 4.3 ha of land.

6 THE STORY SO FAR In August 2017, an outline planning application to build 90 new houses was made by CTT, along with developers William Morrison. The application consisted of 21 separate documents (some of which were withdrawn and revised during the application process). Many public and other bodies, including English Heritage and Natural England, commented at length (their combined observations make up 66 pages on the website). 309 individual objections were also made. The application was rejected in July 2018 on several grounds: loss of fine trees; damage to the setting of historic buildings; threats to protected species; damage to the amenities of neighbours; excessive traffic loads; and landscape impact. The applicants then submitted a revised scheme for 69 dwellings. Once more, dozens of documents were prepared in support of the scheme, many bodies commented on it, and hundreds of objections were made to it. Though officers wanted to approve this new proposal, it was rejected by the Planning Committee in March 2019, for very much the same reasons that they had given for their previous refusal. The developers went to appeal: another body of evidence and contrasting opinions were gathered to assist the Inspector. He dismissed the appeal in August 2019. But he noted that the Council’s emerging local plan provided for some 25 dwellings on this land and added that an allocation of that scale “would considerably reduce the potential for the harmful impacts which were identified in the appeal scheme”. The developers took this as a green thought has been given to the wider – like the trees, the wildlife and the light to try again. In April 2020 they public benefit this site could offer to heritage features – were recognised submitted a revised proposal for 43 Cheltenham. and safeguarded. And it would have homes. Once again, over 70 documents To read the volumes of stuff about “Land explored how some of the site could were generated in support of the Adjacent to Oakhurst Rise” on the CBC have been used for public access: with scheme, more than a dozen bodies website is a dispiriting experience. its fine views across Charlton Kings to (including the Civic Society’s Planning the Cotswolds, part of this area could Forum) submitted their views and about A BETTER WAY become a very attractive park. 140 objections came from the public. Of course, a proactive planning approach The planners’ decision may be taken There must be a better way to do this might not have ironed out all the after the lockdown eases. kind of thing. And indeed there is. potential competing and conflicting The Council could have played a interests. But it would have been a good A DISPIRITING EXPERIENCE leadership role rather than a reactive learning process for everyone involved. This is a crazy way to decide such one, perhaps by preparing a Local Area Instead of three years of dispute, there matters. Developers, consultees, Action Plan for the site, which would would have been a shorter and more the planning authority, the Planning eventually form part of the local plan productive phase that would have Inspectorate and local people have all for Cheltenham. Once the potential encouraged compromise and agreement. been engaged in three years of a war development of the site was flagged Too often planning comes across as a of attrition in which the developers’ up, they could have brought the battleground between developers on ambitions have been whittled back by interested parties – the landowners and the one hand and local residents on the stages from 90, to 69, to 43 and perhaps developers, the stakeholders and the other, with the planning authority in the next to 25. neighbours - together to work on such a middle. But here, as elsewhere, there is Large amounts of public and private plan for the area. a better way to do things. money and time have been spent. Much This would certainly have made some Planners just need to plan. needless anxiety has been generated provision for housing but it would among the local community. Little also have made sure that key assets Adrian Phillips CBE, MRTPI (rtd.), FLI

7 Civic Society News Website revamp slowed New Treasurer by Covid-19 After three years as the Society’s Honorary Treasurer, Andrew Chard has The long-awaited refresh of the Civic now stepped down. Society’s website is now well underway but has recently been delayed by the Claire Attenborough – one of our impact of Covid-19. existing Trustees/Executive members – has volunteered to step into the role and The Executive’s sub-committee her appointment from 1st July 2020 was overseeing the change (Peter Sayers, confirmed by the Executive in May. Mike Duckering and Steve Bryson) has edited and updated all of the existing Andrew was also Chair of the Parmoor website’s content and provided the firm House Committee before becoming chosen to design and build the new site Treasurer. with highly detailed briefings. However, He has worked tirelessly to bring us into progress has twice been brought to a the twenty-first century by modernising halt in recent months after the firm our practices, streamlining our had to furlough all of its staff on two procedures and trying his best to make separate occasions. us as paperless as possible through best Nevertheless, the new site should now Harp Hill site – looking north towards Cleeve Hill. use of automated banking. be ready in the autumn. As well as giving He leaves our accounts considerably us a fresher, cleaner design, the revamp Harp Hill objections slicker! will, more importantly, provide us with Along with hundreds of members of a new Content Management System the public, the Civic Society’s Planning (CMS) – which allows us to edit pages Forum has submitted a strong objection and to add or delete pages, text or to the outline planning application images as desired. WANTED to build 250 new homes off Harp Hill The CMS provided by the existing behind the Sainsbury’s store at Oakley. website had gone out of date and is no “Even for an outline application, this longer supported by its original supplier lacks detail” commented the Planning ARCHITECTS OR – hence the need for the complete Forum. “There are no elevations, no rebuild. masterplan. The renewable energy TOWN PLANNERS document contains no concrete proposals. The applicant fails to make a case for developing this area of The Planning Forum has Welcome particular importance as part of the two vacancies and we are Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural especially interested in to new Beauty.” members who are or were architects or town planners. members WhatsApp now running Please indicate your interest Following our last newsletter, 47 Civic by emailing Peter Sayers, Society members have now joined our the chair of the Planning WhatsApp group. To join the group Forum: • Mr Mike Rigby please send your mobile number to: • Mr Benjamin Lane [email protected] membership@cheltenhamcivicsociety. org.uk

Key Cheltenham Civic Society contacts Photo and image credits PAGE Andrew Booton Chairman [email protected] 1: Stained glass – courtesy of Pate’s Richard de Carteret Membership Secretary [email protected] Grammar School & Adrian Barlow Steve Bryson Editor Our Town [email protected] 2&3: HODs – courtesy of participants, plus Neptune and the Holst statue by the Editor Enquiries 4&5: Map credited on the page 6&7: Oakhurst Rise – photos by Adrian [email protected] Phillips, location map by the Editor Cheltenham Civic Society, 13 Lypiatt Terrace, Lypiatt Road, Cheltenham GL50 2SX 8: Harp Hill site – Editor cheltenhamcivicsociety.org.uk Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @cheltcivicsoc Original design by Art Works and on Facebook.com/cheltenhamcivicsociety Artwork and layout by the Editor Registered charity No. 1166580 Printing arranged by Art Works

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