cheltonian politics
Alex Chalk MP forCheltenham Thismonthwith...
Shaping the High Street
CheltenhamMPAlexChalk discusses the inevitable change toCheltenham’sHigh Street
When it comes to inevitable change, society is facedwith a stark choice: shape it or be shaped by it. That’s the choicewe face here in
Cheltenham. I amtalking in particular about our high street,which faces perhaps its biggest change since CaptainHenry Skillicorne first commercialisedCheltenham’s spa waters in the eighteenth century and helped shops spring up across the town centre. Since then a technological
revolution has been tearing through
retail.Global trends have led towhat has been dubbed a ‘retail apocalypse’ in theUS,with thousands of stores facing closure. Things aren’t quite as dramatic in the UK, but even so last year the number of jobs and hoursworked in the retail sector dropped at the fast annual rate formore than a decade. Cheltenhamis faring better than
most parts of theUK, but the number of vacant shops is still higher than we’re used to. And the fact is, shifting consumer
habits aren’t likely to change anytime soon. So, itwould bemadness to bury our heads in the sand. Cheltenhamneeds a plan. If there is going to be a reduction in the amount of retail floor space, it should be part
of amanaged retreat not a disorderly rout. Thought needs to be given to
whether some retail space in town should be re-designated as
residential.Can this be themoment whenwe start to providemeaningful numbers of homes for young people to provide those vital early steps on the housing ladder, and take pressure off some of our green spaceswhich are being eyed up by developers?
42 SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2018 THECHELTONIAN
Councils have farmore power
than they used to. TheGovernment has revised planning policy to give themgreater flexibility to provide a more vibrantmix of uses to keep town centres thriving. There are sensitivities here
obviously.But that’s preciselywhywe need a clear strategy.Unlesswewant a disorderly outcome imposed on us bymarket forces, it’s high time our town seized the initiative.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
