Council calls for an end to 'tarmac cowpats'

The council is concerned of the impact of the asphalt on Cheltenham's 2602 listed buildings and seven conservation areas

Councillors in a town plagued by "tarmac cowpats" have asked highways chiefs to stop repairing pavements with asphalt.

Cheltenham Borough Council is concerned pavement repairs are degrading the Regency town's beauty and history.

Leader Rowena Hay will write to highways bosses at Gloucestershire County Council (GCC), asking them to consider their surroundings when carrying out repairs in Cheltenham.

Highways cabinet member Dom Morris said GCC does not permit works until the contractor has shown they have the correct paving slabs in store.

Borough councillors backed a motion earlier this month, calling on Ms Hay to send GCC a letter, the Local Democracy Service reports.

She will ask that highways accepts it has moral responsibility to do work sensitive to the public realm context, especially when working in conservation areas, or near listed buildings.

Ms Hay will also request that, if repairs are done to streets or pavements, asphalt is not used to replace paving stones or slabs in those protected areas, and emergency asphalt is replaced "in a timely fashion" by suitable blocks and slabs.

Councillor Julian Tooke, who presented the motion, said GCC has always had responsibility for work carried out by utility companies, and it "is not an achievement" to take that responsibility fully.

Mr Tooke said some progress had been made on Cheltenham's pavements recently, which he credited Max Wilkinson MP and the Civic Society for

“On the GCC website, it states indignantly: ‘When utilities complete work on pavements they often make the area safe with temporary repairs that do not match the paving stones of the street and cause an eyesore’," said Mr Tooke.

“To be frank, I am gobsmacked by this criticism of utility companies. GCC regularly creates eyesores by using asphalt on pavements which does not match with the paving stones."

Highways cabinet member Mr Morris said GCC has been looking at how special heritage sites are dealt with.

He added GCC has been "increasing [its] efforts" to hold utility companies to account when ensuring they have the correct paving materials.

“We want to ensure that our role in keeping the highway safely maintained is balanced with the aspirations for Cheltenham and its proud heritage, and have been carrying out work in the town centre this month to replace older temporary repairs with matching paving stones, to maintain the original style of the pavements," he said.