Work under way turning car park into new homes

The car park was described as "the blight" on its side of Cheltenham by a development boss

Work has started on a town centre car park in preparation for the construction of almost 150 new homes.

The £50m Arkle Court development will replace North Place car park in Cheltenham, with Wavensmere Homes and Montane Partners commencing work on the site last week.

The 3.5 acre site will include 147 homes and apartments, landscaped open space, and the opportunity for a public art installation to be created as part of Cheltenham Paint Festival.

James Dickens, managing director of Wavensmere Homes, said construction should take two-and-a-half years.

Groundworks are scheduled to commence later in the spring, and will begin on the site's eastern boundary with North Place.

Arkle Court was designed by architects Glancy Nicholls to complement Cheltenham's Regency architecture and create a sustainable community.

The development will include 75 three-bedroom townhouses and 72 one and two-bedroom apartments, with the first home handovers scheduled to take place in the third quarter of 2026.

In addition to open space, there will be vehicle, pedestrian and cycle access from North Place, less than half-a-mile from the town centre.

A mixture of apartments and townhouses will make up the development

The redevelopment will connect Pittville Park to the Brewery Quarter and beyond.

Mr Dickens, managing director of Wavensmere Homes, said the car park was "the blight" on its part of Cheltenham.

"The build programme at the moment is around two-and-a-half years," he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"That obviously will be dependent on market conditions but so far we've had an enormous amount of interest from local people which I'm delighted about.

"We will be breaking ground imminently."

'Boost to the economy'

Rowena Hay, leader of Cheltenham Borough Council, said the site had been "underutilised as a surface car park for many years".

"[The redevelopment] will revitalise the street scene, provide homes for local people, while creating jobs and giving a major boost to the economy," she said.

Local materials will be used in the construction process, with solar photovoltaic panels and air sourced heat pumps included in the new homes.

There will also be parking for each home with electric vehicle charging points.