Block of flats plan for Cheltenham town centre sparks serious concerns over design

Carmelo Garcia
·2-min read

Plans to demolish Cheltenham town centre offices and replace them with a block of flats have been blasted by Historic England. Alan Vine wants permission from Cheltenham Borough Council to redevelop 86-90 Winchcombe Street to build 26 apartments on the former St Vincent’s and St George’s Association (known as Aim Up).

The former Phoenix Centre became vacant when the charity decided not to renew its lease in December 2022. The site lies in the town’s central conservation area and was previously listed as a grade II building until the Department for Digital, Culture, Media removed it from the list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest in December 2022.

The latest proposals, if approved, would create 26 residential units across four floors on the footprint of the existing building, with a separate building/annexe constructed to the immediate west. The proposed main replacement building has been designed so that it is of a similar scale to the surrounding buildings, with a vertical emphasis and buff render and brick façade punctured with regular window and door openings, the developers say.

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The designers say a clear, simple contemporary building is proposed to ensure the homes sit sensitively in their surroundings and do not detract from the character or setting of nearby listed buildings or this part of the conservation area. And all the proposed dwellings will meet modern living and space standards.

But Historic England has raised serious concerns over the proposal. They say the scale and design of the building is not in keeping with the prevailing local and historic character, nor does it relate to the grain of the surrounding built environment.

Alan Vine wants permission from Cheltenham Borough Council to redevelop 86-90 Winchcombe Street to build 26 apartments on the former St Vincent’s and St George’s Association
Alan Vine wants permission from Cheltenham Borough Council to redevelop 86-90 Winchcombe Street to build 26 apartments on the former St Vincent’s and St George’s Association -Credit:Carmelo Garcia

They say the development would dominate the nearby listed buildings which provide the site with its historic context. “Historic England would wish to express serious concerns about the proposals as set out within this application,” they said in their response.

“These concerns relate particularly to the poor design, form and disposition of the proposed development which will not contribute positively to the local character and distinctiveness of this part of the central Cheltenham conservation area, nor is it sympathetic to local history or the surrounding built environment.”

The Borough Council is expected to consider the proposals by July 24. Residents can view and comment on the scheme by searching for application 24/00904/FUL on the council’s online planning portal.

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