Outdoor dining area on historic promenade approved

Plans for a permanent outdoor dining area at a Cheltenham hotel and bar have been approved.

Owner and Superdry clothing co-founder, Julian Dunkerton, wanted to build either an iron pergola or glazed conservatory outside the Grade II listed No 131 on the Promenade.

On Thursday night, borough councillors rejected the plan for a glass structure but approved a slim, metal pergola with a retractable roof, despite objections from groups including Historic England and the Cheltenham Civic Society.

The structure will replace marquees put in place during the coronavirus pandemic that the business had previously been ordered to take down.

Mr Dunkerton said the decision would save more than 100 jobs, having previously said that the business would not be viable without outdoor tables.

"It's a great day for Cheltenham," he said.

"I'm absolutely delighted that Cheltenham Borough Council has backed our vision.

"This decision ensures we can continue to offer a world-class hospitality experience, attracting visitors from across the UK and beyond, while securing jobs and boosting the local economy.

"The approved design for the terrace features a slim, unobtrusive metal pergola with a retractable roof, aiming to complement the Regency architecture of the area."

More than 2,000 people had signed a petition supporting Mr Dunkerton's plans, while dozens of people along with Cheltenham Civic Society, Historic England, the Georgian Group and Cheltenham's Architects Panel raised objections.

"The concern is that the buildings will not really be seen in future," said Adrian Philips from Cheltenham Civic Society.

"The views of them will be greatly minimised, diminished, by having these structures in front of them.

"We believe that there is an alternative to this, that it's possible to build permanent structures to the left and behind the buildings, without anything like the damage that's proposed in these schemes."

Both plans put forward had been recommended for refusal by council officers who raised concerns over harm to the building and its historic and architecturally important setting, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Prof Robert Maitland, a chartered town planner and member of Cheltenham Civic Society's planning forum, said: "There is overwhelming and unanimous expert advice that these proposals would be damaging to the buildings, the conservation area and the town."

Liberal Democrat councillor Garth Barnes, chairman of the planning committee, said during the meeting: "We are in danger of losing our birthright and Cheltenham's credibility as a Georgian town of great repute."

After the decision, he said: "My own personal view was that the buildings were very important to the area of Cheltenham that it stands in and should have been preserved.

"It [the decision] was based more on the economic factors than the loss of the views of the building."

Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.