Restaurant's marquee bid on Cheltenham Prom rejected

The latest bid to keep the marquees by The No 131 on the Promenade has been turned down

A new application by a restaurant group to keep marquees outside No 131 on the Promenade in Cheltenham has been rejected.

The Lucky Onion group proposed turning the white peaks into domes which would be 2m (6.6ft) lower and less prominent.

But Cheltenham Borough Council said the marquees would still have too much of a visual impact on the five Grade II* listed Regency-era buildings nearby.

The marquees were installed for outdoor dining during the Covid-19 pandemic.

'Limited public benefits'

In 2020 bars and restaurants were permitted to use external spaces to meet social distancing requirements, but when this relaxation ended, proposals to keep the structures for a further two years were rejected by councillors in November last year.

The decision was upheld by a planning inspector in the summer and new plans were later submitted to retain marquee tents there but to also to reduce their height.

Despite the reduction in marquee sizes, conservation officers and Historic England raised concerns over the proposals.

They also said there would be limited public benefits to keep the marquees for 12 months.

The latest bid included sketches showing the reduced height of the proposed marquees

Simon Firkins, the applicant's agent, said: "The marquees are not acceptable long term.

"But the harm is now greatly reduced, the fabric of the building is unaffected, it's all completely reversible and is for just 12 months," he added.

Councillor Tony Oliver said he supported the proposals: "The site is really popular and plays a key role in linking footfall from Montpellier and the Promenade.

"There's no point having a heritage asset that's empty and crumbling."

'A bad sight'

Councillor Emma Nelson said she had been driving to the Municipal Offices and appreciating "how lovely the Christmas lights look" when she was hit with the vision of "that great big white tent."

"Although the new ones would be lower, they would still be a sight.

"Not a good sight, a bad sight," she said.

The committee voted to reject the planning application by nine votes to one.