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CHELTENHAMCIVICSOCIETY

CivicDayStreetPrideReport

August,2018

TheStreetAuditwasorganisedbymembersoftheCivicSociety:TessBeck,MaxineMelling(CCSChair),PeterSayers(Trustee)andSimoneSeward.ThisreportispublishedundertheauspicesoftheCheltenhamCivicSocietyandwaswrittenbythestreetauditteam.

Acknowledgements

WewouldliketothanktheBusinessImprovementDistrictforprovidingfundstohelpwiththeadministrationofthedayandforprovidingthreestafftohelponthedayoftheaudit.TheMP’sofficewasveryhelpfulinprovidingguidanceandsupportandCheltenhamMPAlexChalkattendedonthedayandtookpartintheaudititself.CheltenhamBoroughCouncil(CBC)PlanningDepartment,andespeciallyChrisMorris,providedadviceandguidance.TheCBCCouncilLeader,SteveJordan,participatedintheauditandhelpedwithsomequestionsfromvolunteers.InadditiontheCBCICTOfficeprovidedmapsoftheHighStreetandrefreshmentvoucherswereprovidedbySohoCoffee,CambrayPlace.WewouldalsoliketothankBerniceThompsonandSarahWestatCWEPwholetususetheGroveStreetCommunityResourceCentreasourbasefortheday,freeofcharge.

Mostofall,thanksgotoallthevolunteerswhoprovidedtime,energyandenthusiasmincarryingouttheaudit–followingtheinstructionsgiventoanimpressiveextent!

A. INTRODUCTION

OnJune16th2018theCheltenhamCivicSocietycelebratedCivicDay(anannualeventwhencommunitiescelebrateandsupporttheirlocalcommunity)bytakingpartintheStreetPridecampaign.StreetPrideissupportedbyEnglishHeritageandisrunundertheauspicesofCivicVoice,thenationalumbrellaorganisationthatsupportscivicsocieties.Thecampaignaimsto“maketheplaceswhereeveryonelivesmoreattractive,enjoyableanddistinctive[by]reducingstreetclutter”.

HavingconsultedwithitsmembersandwithkeygroupsincludingtheBusinessImprovementDistrict(BID),CheltenhamBoroughCouncil(CBC)andtheCheltenhamWestEndPartnership(CWEP)wedecidedtofocusCheltenham’sStreetPrideactivityonthelengthoftheHighStreet–fromtheHoneybournelinebridgetoCollegeRoad.Thisfallswithinthetown’sCentralConservationArea.It’sworthnotingthattheCheltenhamDevelopmentFrameworkidentifiedanumberofchallengestotheprotectionofourconservationareas,includingon-streetparking,streetparaphernalia,poorstreetfurnitureandequipmentonbuildings.Theaimoftheauditcarriedouton16thJunewastolistandphotographallsuchstreetclutterinordertohighlightissuesofparticularconcern.

Theauditwascarriedoutinfullconsultationwiththemainauthoritiesresponsiblefortheseissues(BID,CWEP,CBCandGloucestershireCountyCouncil).AlleffortsweremadetoensurethattheStreetPrideauditcomplementedandsupportedexistingeffortstoimprovetheenvironment,

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possiblyprovidingadditionalinformationtothoseseekingevidencetoinformtheirownworkandcertainlyaimingtobringpressuretobearwhereissuesofnotearenotbeingaddressed.

B. THEAUDIT

Thirtyvolunteerscarriedouttheaudit,focussingon10stretchesoftheHighStreet:

A.HoneybourneBridgetoPooleWayB.PooleWaytoMilsomStC.MilsomSttoStPaul'sStSouthD.StPaul'sStSouthtoWoodysFruit&VegE.Woodysfruit&VegtoBenningtonStF.BenningtonSttoPittvilleStreetG.PittvilleSttoRodneyRoadH.RodneyRoadtoGrosvenorTerraceI.GrosvenorTerracetoBarrattsMillLaneJ.BarrattsMillLanetoCollegeRoad

Thevolunteersworkedingroupsofthree,fillinginatemplatethatdescribedtheissueidentified,markingtheissueonamapandphotographingittohelpwithidentificationanddescription.Inordertokeepthingsasstraightforwardaspossiblegroupswereaskedtoidentifythelocation&purposeoftheitem(e.g.outsideBoots,awastepaperbin)andalsowhattheproblemwas&whatmightbedone(e.g.coveredingraffiti,needscleaning).

ThevolunteergroupscomprisedmembersoftheCivicSocietyandotherlocalpeoplewhohadheardaboutthecampaign.Inaddition,weweregratefultoBIDstaff,theLeaderoftheBoroughCouncilandCheltenham’sMPfortakingpartintheauditandbeingverysupportiveontheday.

Thegroupsweregivenalistofissuesinordertohelpwithcommonterminologyonceresultswerecollated(seeappendix1).However,theywereencouragednottolimitthemselvestotheseissuesshouldtheyfeelsomethingwasimportantenoughtoreport.Inevitablypeopleinthegroupsputemphasisonslightlydifferentthings–thiswasnotascientificexercise.However,therewasreasonableconsistencyoverthenumberofissuesidentified(averaging25pergroup)andtherewasalsoconsistencyinissuesofparticularconcern–thesearereportedinsection3below.

Thecommentsandphotostakenwerealltranscribedandcollated–thesewillbesharedwithourpartnersinlocalauthorities,theBIDandCWEP.Weincludesomeexamplesinappendix2ofthisreportasanillustrationoftheissuesencountered.

Thedaywasverysuccessfulandthevolunteersaretobecommendedfortheiractiveengagementandclearpassionabouttheirlocaltown.Manyreportedbeingapproachedbylocalpeopleduringtheauditanditwasclearthatpeoplewereverysupportiveof“somethingbeingdone”aboutthestateofthepublicrealm.AsthiswasafirstfortheCivicSocietytherehasbeenaninevitablelearningcurve.Allvolunteerswereinvitedtocommentonhowthedaywasorganised.Thesecommentshavebeenusedtodevelopa“lessonslearned”documentwhichwillinformanyfuturerepetitionofthestreetaudit.ThereportwastakentotheCivicSocietyExecutiveCommitteeon20thAugustandallrecommendationswereendorsed,includingthecreationofaCCSStreetPridegrouptotakethereportforward.

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C. FINDINGS

Thepiechartatfig1showstheweightingofthemainissuesidentified.

fig1

Inordertoallowrecommendationstobemadeandactiontakentheissueshavebeengroupedunderthemainauthorityresponsiblefortakingthisforward.

1. GloucestershireCountyCouncil–pavements,roadsurfacesandstreetfurniture

Oneofthebiggestissues(30%)ofconcernundertheauspicesofGCCisthatofbrokenpavements,includingasphaltinfilltoYorkpavingandbrokencurbs.Commentsfromvolunteersincludedlooseandbrokenpavingstones,brokengutterslabs,unevensurfacesandinconsistencyintheuseofpavers,slabsandtarmac.TheseobservationscoveredthefulllengthoftheHighStreet,leadingtoanuglyoverallimpressionandtotriphazards.

Anumberoftheissuesofconcernidentifiedbythevolunteersrelatetostreetfurniture–beitdisrepairandgraffitiorgeneralclutter.Volunteersreportedpoorlymaintainedstreetbollardsandbollardsthatappeartoservenorealpurpose,alsodifferenttypesofstreetfurniturealmostfightingforspaceonthepavement.

RECOMMENDATION1:APublicRealmStrategyforCheltenhamisdevelopedandagreedwithGloucestershireCountyCouncilasamatterofurgency.ThisStrategycouldbeencompassedaspartoftheBoroughCouncil’sdevelopmentofatowncentrevision.

RECOMMENDATION2:GCChighwayscontractbeamendedatthenextopportunitytoincluderesponsibilityforthemaintenanceofstreetfurniture.

2. CWEPandtheBID–localbusinesspremises

Byfarthemostfrequentissueidentifiedintheaudit(39%)wasthatofthepoormaintenanceandappearanceoflocalbusinessfrontages.Thisrangedfromhangingcables,generalscruffinessandpoormaintenance(needtobepainted,brokenwindowledges,brokenwindowsetc).Inaddition,weedsandovergrowngreeneryaresittingingutteringorbythefrontofshops.

39%

30%

8%

23%BusinessFrontages39%

Pavements30%

LitterandFlytipping8%

Graffiti23%

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TheimpactthishasonthelengthoftheHighStreetcan’tbeunderestimated.SomepartsoftheHighStreetweresingledoutasparticularlypoor(e.g.thesectionbetweenMilsomStreetandStPaulsStreetSouth).However,businessfrontswerereportedbyeverygroupofvolunteersasanissueofconcern.

CWEPandtheBIDalreadyworkwithlocalbusinessestoseektoimprovetheenvironmentandtheseorganisationscoverallbuttwosectionsofthestreetaudit.

RECOMMENDATION3:CWEPandBIDpresentthestreetauditfindingstolocalbusinessesandagreehowimprovementsmightbemade.

RECOMMENDATION4:TheCheltenhamCivicSocietyinvestigateshowitmightinstituteanannualprizeforthemostimprovedorbestshopfront.

3. CheltenhamBoroughCouncil–litterandgraffiti.

Problemswithlitteraccountsfor8%ofthemainissuesidentified,rangingfromunsightlylitterbins,flytippingandgenerallitterandchewinggumonthepavements.Inaddition,wheeliebinsarebeingleftoutonthestreetspermanently,creatingobstaclestopedestriansandcreatinganuglyenvironment.Graffitiwasaparticularproblemontelecomboxes.

RECOMMENDATION5:CBCdevelopsastrategyforgraffiti–includingresponsibilityandpolicing.

RECOMMENDATION6:Litterpickgroupsareformedfromvolunteerswholiveandworkintheareasconcerned.

4. Conclusion

Theorganisinggroupbelievesthatthiswasasuccessfuldayand–asafirststreetauditfortheCheltenhamCivicSociety–providedsomeusefullearning.Wethinkthereisbenefittobegainedincarryingoutthestreetauditannually,usingCivicDayastheimpetus.However,anannualeventisnotsufficientinitselfandthereisagreementamongstthegroupthatanewStreetPridesubgroupoftheCivicSocietyshouldbeformedinordertomaintaincontactwiththenewgroupofvolunteers,monitorprogresswiththerecommendationsinthisreportandactasacatalystforchange.

Oneofthestrengthsofthedaywastheactiveinvolvementofkeygroupsandindividualsinthetown.TheStreetPridegroupwillbewellplacedtosupportco-operationbetweeninterestedparties.Itwasapityonthedaythatwardcouncillorsandcountycouncillorswerenotabletoparticipatefully.Thegroupcanensurethatsufficientwarningisgiventotheseindividualsandthattheyarekeptwellinformedofthefindingsofthisreportandfutureinvestigations.

Anyactivityofthisnatureisonlyassuccessfulasthevisibleoutcomesarisingfromtherecommendationsmade.Itisthereforeintendedthatthisreportwillbeusedasthebasisfordiscussionswithkeygroups,includingtheMPforCheltenham,CBC,GCCHighways,theCWEPandtheBID.InadditiontheCivicSocietywillreportdirecttoitsmembersandwillpublishthisreportonitsownwebsiteaswellasmonitoringprogressthroughitsCivicPridegroup.

RECOMMENDATION7:AStreetPridesubgroupiscreatedbytheCivicSocietyandthestreetauditisrepeatedeachyear.

RECOMMENDATION8:Encouragetheparticipationofwardcouncillorsandcountycouncillorsinfuturestreetaudits(withmoreadvanceplanning),asthiswouldhelpsupportfollowupaction.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendation Responsible1 APublicRealmStrategyforCheltenhamisdevelopedandagreedwith

GloucestershireCountyCouncilasamatterorurgency.

CBC

2 TheGCChighwayscontractisamendedatthenextopportunitytoincluderesponsibilityforthemaintenanceofstreetfurniture.

GCCHighways

3 CWEPandBIDpresentthestreetauditfindingstolocalbusinessesandagreehowimprovementsmightbemade.

CWEP,BID

4 CheltenhamCivicSocietyinvestigateshowitmightinstituteanannualprizeforthemostimprovedorbestshopfront.

CCS

5 CBCdevelopsastrategyforgraffiti–includingresponsibilityandpolicing.

CBC

6 Litterpickgroupsareformedfromvolunteerswholiveandworkintheareasconcerned.

CBC

7 AStreetPridegroupiscreatedbytheCivicSocietyandthestreetauditisrepeatedeachyear.Thisreportandthedatafromthe2018auditwillbeusedasthebasedataforprogressmonitoringandreporting.

CCS

8 Encouragetheparticipationofwardcouncillorsandcountycouncillorsinfuturestreetaudits(withmoreadvanceplanning),asthiswouldhelpsupportfollowupaction.

CCS

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Appendix1

A A-boards B Benches Bill boards Bollards Building site hoardings Buildings; condition, graffiti. Street level is important but look up as well. Bus shelters Bus stops C Cabinets: usually junction boxes for telecoms/ cable companies (if there is a number

stencilled on the box, make a note) CCTV posts (not private CCTV cameras mounted on buildings) Cycle racks D Direction/ finger posts E Empty shops Event advertising F Flytipping L Litter bins Litter, includes fallen leaves, bird mess and bird seed M Manhole covers (make a note of any intials, e.g. STW, SWEB, BT) Maps (on street pedestrian maps) P Paintwork Parking meters, (make a note of the number on the meter) Pavements: uneven surface, dirt, chewing gum Phone Boxes and booths (make a note of the phone number inside the box) Planters Post box Public art R Railings Road markings, e.g. yellow lines, zebra crossings Road surface Road works or other on-street maintenance work. S Signage Street Lights (make a note of the number on the pole) Street name signs T Telegraph poles (make a note of the number on the pole) Temporary traffic signs Traffic lights, also belisha beacons (make a note of the number on the pole) Traffic signs, e.g. Give Way, Parking restrictions Trees

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Appendix2

Graffitiandpoorlymaintainedcabinet

BusinessFrontage

Litter-Flytippingexample Pavement-triphazardandtarmacinfill