Retail work delay claim

by Michael Gordon



Environmental protesters are claiming that they have delayed construction of a major retail and leisure development in Cheltenham by at least six months, so far.

The Earth First! pressure group set up a network of tunnels and tree houses in a protected woodland in July 1998, after Cheltenham Borough Council granted detailed planning permission for the project in February. The project involves building a retail store for Waitrose together with leisure facilities for Morrison Developments and Mulberry Developments.

The developers are adamant that work was never scheduled to begin any earlier than spring 1999.

However, a statement put out by the council in February reported: "It is understood that Waitrose and Morrison/Mulberry intend to start construction work this summer and that the development will be completed within two years."

CBC chief executive Lawrence Davison said: "We accept that there are a small number of people who are passionately committed to the town and who are genuinely against this development but Cheltenham Borough Council had to decide on the best option for the benefit of the whole town."

The 8ha greenfield development will be build over playing fields, a patch of woodland, the historic Alstone Spa, and a cycle track and wildlife corridor.

Earth First! has warned: "We have plans for more direct action over the coming months, taking the action to the developers themselves."

A spokesman for Morrison Developments said: "There is no specific date targeted for work to start on site and currently we are going through the technical side of design. The environmentalists are not our problem. The site must be delivered to us vacant."

Tony Morgan, Cheltenham Borough Council's director of commercial services, said: "It will be our responsibility to clear the site, but our plans can't be discussed. We met the environmentalists when the first came to site and exchanged grievances, but we have had little contact recently."