Work to create a brand new, sustainably built community centre in Cheltenham gets underway this March 2025, following years of fundraising by a local charity.
The Eco-Hub, which will be Cheltenham's 'first ever permanent sustainability centre', is a £350,000 project from Gloucestershire charity Vision 21, to build a new two-storey centre using eco-friendly materials and utilities, on the site of a former single story workshop and yard in St Paul's.
Once built, the centre will be used for a range of purposes, including public awareness raising and education around environmental issues and climate change; as a hub for community and sustainability groups and projects; as an example of how buildings can be designed sustainably and at 'a modest price'; and to demonstrate energy saving equipment suitable for retrofits in older properties.
The building will incorporate sustainable features including a rainwater harvesting system; photovoltaic generators with a back-up battery system; and a heat pump, with an office and meeting space upstairs and a multi-use area with kitchen and toilet downstairs.
The project has been in development since 2019, as part of Vision 21's response to the UK government declaring an environment and climate emergency, which also involved the creation of its climate support initiative, Planet Cheltenham.
The charity says fundraising for the centre has been 'heavy going' throughout the pandemic and cost of living crisis; and while it now has sufficient funds for the renovation, it is continuing to fundraise to 'fully equip' the building — with donations welcome.
Initially its idea was to renovate the existing building, but upon investigation it became clear it would be cheaper and more eco friendly to replace the single-storey building with a new, two-storey structure built to modern standards. The safe removal of an asbestos roof is the first stage of the project, scheduled for next month.
The charity adds that locating the 'inspirational' facility in St Paul's, which despite its proximity to the town centre suffers from high levels of deprivation, will help to 'breathe new life' into the area.
