The redevelopment of the North Place surface car park, located within Cheltenham’s Central Conservation Area has been approved by Cheltenham Borough Council’s planning committee. Arkle Court will comprise 147 houses and apartments, designed to sensitively enhance the street scene, including Grade II* listed St Margaret’s Terrace. Wavensmere Homes and BBS Capital are responsible for the project.
The plans for Arkle Court, totalling €64.4m, have been created by Glancy Nicholls to harmonize with the Regency architecture of the town and establish a sustainable new community in the town centre. Once the S106 agreement is in place, construction for 75 three-bedroom townhouses and 72 one- and two-bedroom apartments is set to begin within a few months.
Covering more than 1.4 hectares, the redevelopment will feature multiple areas of top-quality landscaped open space, providing the opportunity for a public art installation as part of the Cheltenham Paint Festival. Access for vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists will be from North Place, which is less than half a mile from the historic core of the town centre.
James Dickens, Managing Director of Wavensmere Homes, said: “There has been a desire to redevelop this key site for Cheltenham for over a decade. Receiving the green light from the Borough’s planning committee will enable us to inject £55m (€64.4m) into delivering much-needed energy-efficient homes and continue the renaissance of the wider St Paul’s area. It has taken years of partnership working to get to this point and our delivery will showcase what can be achieved when the Borough Council and developers work together to unlock complex regeneration schemes for the benefit of Cheltenham. Our team will continue to work with the Council and other stakeholders on the pre-construction details, to enable us to start work on site as soon as possible.”
Formerly the site of Black & White’s Coach Station, the Council awarded planning for a large supermarket and 143 new homes in 2013, which never materialized. The new designs for Arkle Court are gas-free with a target A-rated energy performance. Wavensmere Homes’ specification of local materials will help to reduce the carbon footprint, along with energy-saving and generating technology.
Nick Spencer, Director, and Co-Founder at BBS Capital said: “We are thrilled this landmark brownfield site can now finally be redeveloped to deliver highly sustainable family houses and apartments, with over 100 construction jobs to be created in the process. While the viability assessment for the project did not allow for 20% affordable housing, we will proudly be delivering this allocation on-site, along with a contribution of over £1m towards upgrades towards local education, libraries and the Cotswold Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation. In addition, a high proportion of the new homes will be aimed at first-time buyers and young families, with attainable prices set significantly below prime Cheltenham values.”
The redevelopment of the North Place car park will include social, environmental, and sustainability components that complement Cheltenham Borough Council’s 2027 Corporate Plan. It will deliver sustainable drainage and biodiversity net gains, while enhancing connectivity and walkability to drive economic growth.
Image source - Pexels.
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