OAKLEY COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTRE,

26^TH JANUARY 2007

2.15PM – 4.00PM

•  Join our inaugural meeting at a campaign launch - with the aim of achieving
• An organisation dedicated to opposing greenbelt development proposals.
• A discussion on the issues and timescales involved. 

In a shocking reversal of its previous commitment to defend Cheltenham’s Green Belt, the Conservative leadership of Cheltenham Borough Council has submitted a tentative bid to the Government for ‘Growth Point Status’.  ‘Growth Points’ is a way in which the Government hopes to accelerate new house-building.  In Cheltenham’s case, it hopes to do this by creating a ‘north west urban extension’ of around 4,000 houses mainly on greenfield land along Tewkesbury Road.

Traffic nightmare - This is bad news for Cheltenham, which is already facing the prospect of accommodating 12,500 extra homes in the Cheltenham area by 2026. This would already be the biggest ever increase in housing in Cheltenham in an equivalent period of time. Building this ‘urban extension’ will make matters even worse.  Not only will it destroy a large area of Green Belt.  It will also throw large amounts of extra traffic on already-congested roads like Tewkesbury Road and Princess Elizabeth Way , with a knock-on effect on Gloucester Road and numerous residential roads in our area.   

Why we mustn’t give in - The Tories should have fought this disastrous scheme – which is what they promised to do.  But instead they have hauled up the white flag and put out the begging bowl. They are hoping that they will receive part of the money the Government is offering councils to speed up house-building.  At the December meeting of the Borough Council, Liberal Democrats tried to get the Tories to withdraw the Growth Points bid, but they and their PAB allies refused to do so.  Now Lib Dems want to mobilise local opinion to fight this urban extension – which they have dubbed ‘Toryville’ – and not to give in to it. 

Benhall & The Reddings Ward councillor Nigel Britter says: ‘This urban sprawl is yet a further example of the destruction of our countryside it will also be a disaster for Cheltenham, clogging up our existing roads and requiring massive new road-building and will hamper the redevelopment of derelict and under-used sites in Cheltenham, which really offers the best possibilities for creating more affordable housing.’     

LIBERAL Democrats in Cheltenham have welcomed the election of Nick Clegg as the new Leader of the Party. The result of the vote of Liberal Democrat members was announced on Tuesday 18th December.  New Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg MP today promised to give a voice to the people of Cheltenham who feel ignored by oliticians.Setting out his priorities after being elected as party leader, Nick Clegg said:“I am greatly honoured to have been chosen by my fellow party members to be the new leader of the Liberal Democrats. “Throughout Cheltenham Liberal Democrats are already working hard to reach out to local people and listen to their concerns. In my leadership I will be taking that spirit nationwide, moving beyond party politics and making liberalism connect with the millions of people who share our values.“Labour and the Conservatives have failed Britain’s families. I will lead my party to change politics, and change

Commenting Councillor Nigel Britter said: “Nick Clegg is going to be a great leader. Labour and the Conservatives share so many policies. The time has come for a politician who will speak up for real people and local communities - like ours in

Live performers will be hitting the streets of
Cheltenham thanks to a flood recovery grant of £50,000 from the South West Regional Development Agency (RDA).

Two live performance events – one linked to the Folk Festival in February, the other taking place across the Easter weekend – will see some of the country’s best street musicians and artists entertaining town centre visitors.

The live performance events will be hosted by Cheltenham Borough Council after the money was secured by the council’s economic development and tourism teams. The events will help to boost the local economy helping hotels, restaurants and retailers to recover some of their lost income following the summer’s flood crisis

Members of the public are being invited to share their views about the town’s recovery following the summer’s floods at a drop-in session on Thursday 13 December 2007.

The event will be jointly hosted by Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucestershire County Council from 3pm until 6.30pm at Cheltenham Town Hall (drawing room). 
Councillors and officers will be on hand to tell people about the things that have been done since the floods and what is planned for the near future.

Representatives of various other organisations, including Gloucestershire Highways, the Citizens Advice Bureau, Primary Care Trust and Cheltenham Volunteer Centre will also be there to offer information and advice about the recovery.

During the session, residents will be asked: 

• What still needs to be done to repair your local area?
• What did you think of the information you received about the emergency and recovery?
• What can be done to help you build better community resilience?

Your chance to see the final four design solutions which have now been shortlisted by the judging panel in Cheltenham Borough Council’s Royal Institute of British Architects open design competition.

The plans can be viewed at the Municipal Offices, Promenade, Cheltenham and at the Art Gallery & Museum Clarence Street, from now until 21^st December during normal opening hours. They can also be seen online at www.cheltenhamartgallery.org.uk/buildingforanewfuture

On 5 November 2007 Cheltenham Borough Council, in partnership with Gloucestershire County Council, will take over the enforcement of parking restrictions in
Cheltenham. The Council currently has responsibility for off street parking enforcement but from 5 November will also have responsibility for on-street parking enforcement, currently provided by the police authority.  This means that from that date parking enforcement in
Cheltenham becomes a civil rather than a criminal matter. The change from 5 November 2007 relates only to responsibility for parking enforcement and does not, at the moment, alter any of the existing parking restrictions. There will, however, be a greater number of Parking Attendants patrolling the streets and Council operated car parks to enforce existing regulations which aim to:    

• Improve traffic flow by controlling the parking of vehicles on streets
• Reduce pollution by improving traffic flow.  
•  Improve road safety through enforcement of illegally and dangerously parked vehicles.
•  Improve access for emergency vehicles and public transport by reducing illegal parking obstruction. 
• Gloucestershire County Council is taking the lead on communications. A poster and leaflet campaign is scheduled

The project to replace and upgrade the worn-out carriageway on the A40 has now started with Phase 1 Arle Court Roundabout to Benhall Roundabout being completed in September. Phase 2 Benhall Roundabout to Lansdown Road, will be constructed in conjunction with the Bus Lane widening, commencing18th January for completion by 9^th May. The Bus Lane widening itself will not require lane closures. Works will be suspended between 10^th and 16^th March for the Cheltenham Festival. The resurfacing works will be carried out at weekends and will require alternate lane closures. Outbound traffic flows will be maintained but inbound traffic will be diverted onto Tewkesbury Road at Kingsditch roundabout.