Rainbow crossing will not be funded, council says

A rainbow pedestrian crossing was painted in Gloucester in 2021

Cheltenham will not get a rainbow pedestrian crossing after highway chiefs received "mixed reactions" to one painted in Gloucester.

The rainbow flag is a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride and social movements.

Cheltenham Borough Councillor Max Wilkinson said Gloucestershire County Council told him it will not fund the crossing, which can be costly and comes with safety considerations.

The county council said it is supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.

There have been calls to paint a rainbow crossing in the town, to add to one painted in Commercial Road, Gloucester, in 2021.

The borough council had given its support but needed the county council to give it the go-ahead.

Former chairman of Pride in Gloucestershire, Jay-Jay Potter-Peachery, asked council chiefs last week for an update.

Councillor Max Wilkinson suggested Jay-Jay Potter-Peachery may wish to consider further engagement with the county council on the subject

However, economic development, culture, tourism and wellbeing cabinet member Mr Wilkinson explained the county council had told him rainbow crossings are costly when compared with other potential support that might be given to the Pride cause.

He also said it told him of many other considerations taken into account, including safety and site selection.

“The county council concluded that it would not support or be funding a rainbow crossing in Cheltenham and, even if Cheltenham Borough Council had sufficient budget to fund a scheme, highways officers would recommend other ways to spend the money,” Mr Wilkinson said in a written response.

“In terms of potential funding from the borough council, there are various annual grants available that could support public engagement activities for Pride, as well as the community infrastructure levy neighbourhood fund."

Mr Wilkinson added that he was happy to meet with Mr Potter-Peachery and discuss this at his convenience.

Safety is priority

A Gloucestershire County Council spokesperson said the authority is supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.

“However, when it comes to the highway, our number one priority must be safety," the spokesperson added.

"Rainbow crossings require extensive work to make them safe for all road users and have high ongoing maintenance costs.

“We previously trialled one in Gloucester that has had mixed reactions so we are now looking at other ways to show support for the LGBTQ+ community."