Developer Wavensmere Homes has released a series of CGI images showing what the proposed redevelopment of Cheltenham's North Place car park could look like.
It plans to transform the 300-space car park into a sustainable housing development, saying the design of the new homes will 'complement and reflect the town's regency properties.'
Created by nationally-acclaimed architects, Glancy Nicholls, the development — named Arkle Court — will feature 75 three-bedroom, three-storey townhouses and a four-storey apartment complex of 78 one- and two-bedroom apartments.
The properties are set to be A-rated in terms of energy efficiency and gas-free, built using local, sustainable, low-carbon materials with an array of energy-saving technology like air source heat pumps and solar panels. Sustainable drainage and biodiversity are key to the project — and each house will benefit from a dedicated parking space and access to 7kW EV chargers, too.
Alongside the new homes, the three-acre site is set to feature landscaped open spaces with room for a public art installation, as well as places were murals can be created as part of the popular Cheltenham Paint Festival, which currently uses North Place car park as one of its key sites.
The site will also act as a thoroughfare from Pittville Park on one side to The Brewery Quarter on the other, aiming to enhance 'connectivity and walkability' as well as cutting down travel times.
Technical director of Wavensmere Homes, Ben Clarke, said: 'In 2013, Cheltenham Borough Council awarded planning for a large supermarket and 143 new homes for this site, but this didn’t materialise. Since then the development of The Brewery Quarter has created more focus and activity in this part of town and highlighted the underutilised land as an unattractive blot on the local townscape.
'Our plans for Arkle Court include both apartments and townhouses, as we want to offer young professionals, families and older people, appropriate and attainable new homes that enable them to significantly lower their carbon footprint.
'The scheme design overcomes the various site complexities, will greatly enhance the street scene along North Place and St Margaret’s Road, and is entirely reflective of the principles of Cheltenham’s Central Conservation Area. We hope that Cheltenham residents will engage with the consultation process and support this brownfield regeneration proposal.'
Cheltenham residents are encouraged to share their feedback on the plans before the public consultation ends on Friday 5 January 2024.
