The Bell Inn on Bath Road in Cheltenham could become housing if plans by property manager Peter Glanville become a reality. If successful, his plans will see the well-known pub turned into four flats, with a new two-bedroomed house at the rear of the flats.
Plans with Cheltenham Borough Council already
Glanville has already submitted plans to Cheltenham Borough Council. The plans include listed building consent applications and, apparently, there’ll be three one-bedroomed flats and one studio flat. The ground floor, however, will remain as a commercial space.
The Bell Inn building is Grade II listed
Built in the 1800s, the three-storey Bell Inn is Grade II listed and at present has a manager’s flat and lettable rooms on the upper floors. There’s also a bar area and back-of-house facilities on the ground floor, as well as access to a cellar.
A small outside space is at the south east corner of the building and Glanville’s plans aim to keep the ground floor as a commercial venture with some community use if there’s enough demand.
The plans are in line with local policies
CBC planning consultants say that the plans are in line with present policies and that they represent a positive use of a somewhat neglected town site within Cheltenham. The plans would bring more housing stock into the town as well as provide some commercial and community use.
Reducing pressure on greenbelts
According to the planning documents, the new flats and house will bring housing into an area that needs it. The development itself will be in keeping with the area’s existing look and character.
The development of the site is compelling
Glanville’s plans also, according to the documents, are justifiable because they involve the regeneration of an unused site and that the planning officers should find it easy to support the scheme.
Glanville’s plans also reference the tough times the pub industry has gone through in recent years. The “perfect storm” of covid, the energy crisis and steep rises in the cost of living have seriously affected the hospitality industry, with people spending less on leisure and nonessentials.
Residents have until December 24 to comment on the plans and CBC is expected to consider them by January 29 2025.
