Cheltenham Transport Plan

Latest information

The Cheltenham Transport Plan (CTP) is a long-held Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) policy to improve the quality of life in the town and increase its economic prosperity. The CTP was first considered by the local Civic Society in 2000 and was subsequently endorsed and adopted by the Borough Council as part of its Civic Pride Urban Design Framework within the Local Development Framework in 2008.

As Highway Authority, Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) have been supporting CBC aspirations by making the changes to the local highway network to enable the scheme.

The delivery of the CTP was given approval by GCC's cabinet in a phased process in July 2015. A phased delivery of the CTP allowed monitoring of both the benefits and any additional effects of each phase. The first three phases were successfully introduced between 2016 and 2018 and are permanent. The final phase, the restriction of Boots Corner, was authorised to be trialled using Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs)

The trial restriction commenced on 28^th June 2018, and continued through to 28^th December 2019. Some amendments to the ETROs were made on 3^rd June 2019.

A Traffic Regulation Committee was held on 17^th December 2019 to consider the ETROs which were put in place to trial the restriction of Boots Corner, Clarence Street, Cheltenham.

The cross-party Traffic Regulation Committee spent a whole day analysing this matter fully and publicly; and concluded that, on balance, the scheme’s drawbacks outweighed the benefits and recommended that the trial closure of Boots Corner should not be made permanent.

The recommendation was considered at Gloucestershire County Council cabinet on 20^th December 2019, which resolved to:

1. Abandon the amended versions of the ETROs for Phase 4 of the CTP;
2. Delegate authority to the Lead Commissioner: Highway Authority to implement its decision; and
3. Commit to continuing to work with key stakeholders to improve transport and access in Cheltenham Town Centre

Work is progressing throughout early 2020 to restore the road layout and markings to reflect the traffic regulation orders which were in place before the trial restriction.

Information for all four phases can be found in the 'Phases in detail' box on the right.