Findings from the High Street and Promenade business briefing
1. Are we focusing on the right things?
The public engagement identified three common themes:
· Fix the basics (paving, cleanliness, maintenance).
· Improve visual quality (greenery, consistency, appearance).
· Help restore vitality (shops, activity, vibrancy).
Businesses were asked whether these themes accurately reflect what businesses need and, importantly, what may be missing from the picture.
There was broad recognition that these issues are important, but discussion highlighted a need to look beyond individual physical improvements and consider the overall experience, connectivity, identity and usability of the town centre.
2. The importance of distinct zones and neighbourhoods
There was strong support for recognising that Cheltenham town centre is made up of different areas with their own identities, rather than treating the whole centre as one homogeneous space.
- Montpellier was highlighted as a distinct entity with its own character and needs.
- Areas away from the traditional high street also want reassurance that they will continue to be included, signposted and maintained.
- It was emphasised that this is particularly important to avoid creating segregation between different parts of the town centre.
Key point: A successful town centre strategy should recognise individual identities while ensuring that the different areas feel connected and part of one overall destination.
3. Wayfinding and connectivity
Wayfinding emerged as a significant recurring theme, both from the consultation and from the discussion.
There was concern that the town centre can feel disjointed, particularly in terms of:
- Montpellier and the High Street
- The High Street and The Strand
- Connections between different town-centre destinations
- Making better use of The Promenade as a destination in its own right
It was noted that wayfinding had come through strongly in the survey and that work is already underway to explore how signage could be:
- More accessible.
- Less cluttered.
- More creative and engaging.
- Better connected across the town centre.
Work is being undertaken with Cheltenham BID to explore this.
On paving, it was recognised that replacing surfaces throughout the town centre would be extremely expensive. Rather than requiring everything to be identical, the opportunity may be to establish a consistent palette of materials, planting and transitions so that different areas feel connected while retaining their individual character.
The overall visual environment should avoid overly bespoke solutions. Reference was made to Cirencester, where the use of bespoke stone in one area created challenges, and businesses heard how Cheltenham should agree a shared palette that can be used consistently.
4. A-boards, signage and supporting businesses
The group discussed the tension between supporting businesses through visible advertising/signage and maintaining an accessible, uncluttered public realm.
A-boards can create accessibility challenges and contribute to clutter on the High Street. However, there was recognition that businesses need ways to:
- Make customers aware of their location.
- Promote offers.
- Draw people towards less prominent streets, such as Regent Street.
One potential approach discussed was shared or coordinated signage, which could help direct people towards areas such as Regent Street without creating additional obstacles on the pavement.
The discussion also considered whether seating and other interventions could encourage people to pause and explore areas they might otherwise overlook.
5. Accessibility versus character and business visibility
A challenge was raised around whether the emphasis on reducing A-boards and clutter could inadvertently remove some of the character and vibrancy that businesses contribute to the town centre.
The group questioned why A-boards should be considered such a significant issue given the width of some pavements, particularly when other towns such as Bath and Cirencester accommodate them.
The High Street has unusually high levels of movement, including:
- Pedestrians.
- Bikes and e-bikes.
- Prams.
- Other forms of movement.
As a result, additional objects in the pedestrian route can have a disproportionate impact.
However, the point was made that this should not necessarily be an either/or choice between accessibility and business visibility. There may be opportunities to design the public realm so that businesses can continue to advertise while maintaining clear and accessible routes.
Consistency in enforcement was important. There can be a perception that businesses with larger areas may be treated differently from smaller independents.
There was an acknowledgement that there is more work to do in this area, while noting that larger café areas can be easier to navigate around than temporary signage which may move into pedestrian routes.
6. Potential funding and incentives for signage
A suggestion was made that businesses could potentially pay for permission to have an A-board or other approved signage, with the income contributing towards public realm improvements.
This was raised as a possible way of balancing:
- Business needs.
- Accessibility.
- Public realm investment.
- The cost of major infrastructure works such as paving.
The principle of creating a consistent, affordable approach to materials, signage and seating was also discussed.
7. Making navigation more engaging
Points raised included:
- Some areas, such as Winchcombe Street, can feel left out of the town-centre experience.
- Opportunities could exist to use colour, visual cues and distinctive design to help people navigate.
- The Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham was referenced as an example of how visual identity can help create a stronger sense of place.
- Different user needs should be considered when designing wayfinding.
The Royal Well bus station was also raised as an area requiring consideration, including whether it currently functions as effectively as it could.
There was discussion about:
- Better pedestrian environments.
- Reducing the impact of large vehicles.
- Connecting people effectively into the town centre.
- Ensuring visitors can easily find car parks and other destinations.
- The effectiveness of the current one-way system.
The overall message was clear: navigation and connectivity need to be considered across the whole town centre, not just through individual signs.
8. Seating, planting, shade and community
The discussion highlighted the importance of seating, trees, planting and shade in creating places where people want to stay rather than simply pass through. The importance of the following areas was discussed:
- Decluttering.
- Consistent seating and planting.
- Creating a more attractive and joined-up environment.
- Making the town centre feel like one connected place.
The issue of existing street furniture including phone boxes and whether some could be removed while others could be retained and improved through measures such as painting.
Street clutter can be a significant issue in Cheltenham and linked this directly to the earlier discussion about A-boards: reducing unnecessary clutter could create more space and make it easier to accommodate business signage appropriately.
9. What constitutes street clutter?
The group questioned what should actually be classified as street clutter. A consensus formed in that the issue needs to be considered as a whole rather than item-by-item.
This led into discussion about e-bikes and e-scooters, particularly where they are left across pavements.
An example from Oxford was cited, where dedicated bays are used to organise them.
Individual interventions may appear relatively minor, but the cumulative impact of multiple small issues can have a significant effect on the quality of the public realm.
Key point: The strategy should consider the cumulative impact of street furniture, signage, parked/shared mobility vehicles and other objects rather than assessing each item in isolation.
10. Community, culture and the evening economy
The following themes were identified:
- Community.
- Creating spaces with a clear purpose.
- Art and cultural installations.
- Innovation.
- Making the town centre more fun, vibrant and engaging.
There was a desire to see more activity and animation within the town centre, rather than focusing solely on infrastructure.
The night-time economy was also highlighted, with good-quality lighting identified as an important part of creating a safe, attractive and welcoming environment after dark.
11. What would success look like?
The group was asked to imagine that it was 2035 and the town-centre project had been a huge success.
Success would mean a town centre that is:
- Easy to navigate.
- Well connected.
- Made up of a series of places with their own identity and character.
- Attractive to residents, businesses and visitors.
- A place where people can experience Cheltenham rather than simply pass through it.
The importance of being more confident in celebrating and communicating Cheltenham's heritage was also discussed.
Other views expressed included describing success as being able to look back on the project in ten years and feel that the right decisions had been made.
He also highlighted the importance of creating a town centre where:
- Younger people working in the town want to stay.
- People see Cheltenham as a good place to work and live.
- Public spaces are well maintained and sustainable.
- The town avoids creating unnecessary or short-term installations simply for the sake of activity.
The importance of well-maintained, low-maintenance interventions was important and question marks were raised on whether large, expensive installations are the right answer.
The wider connection to Cheltenham Spa and the need for the town centre to feel connected to the wider town was also noted.
12. Emerging themes from the discussion
Across the conversation, several broader themes emerged:
Connectivity
Different parts of the town centre need to feel connected while retaining their own identities.
Wayfinding
People need to be able to understand where they are, where they are going and what else the town centre has to offer.
Accessibility
Accessibility needs to be embedded in the design of the public realm rather than treated as a constraint that sits in opposition to business needs.
Decluttering
The cumulative impact of A-boards, street furniture, shared mobility vehicles, signage and other objects needs to be addressed.
Business support
Changes to the public realm should support businesses, particularly independents, and avoid creating unintended disadvantages.
Character and identity
Cheltenham should not become generic. Individual areas should retain their identity while contributing to a coherent overall town-centre experience.
Dwell time and community
Seating, planting, shade, lighting and interesting spaces can encourage people to stay longer, interact and spend more time in the town centre.
Heritage and culture
There is an opportunity to make more of Cheltenham's heritage and use art, culture and innovation to create a more distinctive experience.
Long-term sustainability
Interventions should be practical, durable, maintainable and deliver long-term value rather than creating short-term visual impact.
13. Next question/closing exercise
The session closed with a final question for participants:
“If you had to choose one thing that you would want to be changed in Cheltenham High Street over the next year, what would it be?”
Participants were asked to record their answer on sticky notes.
The responses will provide a useful indication of the highest-priority practical interventions that businesses and stakeholders would like to see in the short term.
Sticky notes response
- “Find the soul and evolve”
- “Greener with more seating”
- “Declutter Pavements”
- “BT adverts and boxes gone”
- “Wayfinding Zones with authentic character”
- “Certain areas a bit grubby and need managing”
- “£13.90 parking, accessibility”
- “Greater visibility for playhouse signposting”
- “A good place to be”
- “Some areas attract undesirable people – are we making a big bin?”
- “Is the money from Amazon being regenerated back into the prom?”
- “Make it not just about the high street – highlight the side streets”
- “Manage spaces that are off-putting and attract ASB”
- “Clean up The Strand”
- “Change the paving close to traffic”
- “Each area to have its own theme but linking them together with a common denominator”
- “Make more of the regency history”
- “Increased planting and seating”
- “Get rid of the bus parking on the Prom and pedestrianise it”
- “Paving!”
- “Re-Invent Cav-House, Propose Zara and council offer zero rates for first year or two”
- “Sorting out the homeless problems and no nice seating with drunk people and homeless sleeping on them”
- “The surface of the strand area of the high street”
- “Better signage”
- “No Asphalt”
- “Proper paving stones”
- “More seating like boots corner”
- "Better way finding”
- “No BT boxes”
- “Clarence Fountain – no smoking”
- “A Christmas Market”
- “Uniformed, improved pavement”
- “More trees”
- “No A-Boards around”