'Striking' plans for Cavendish House unveiled in bid to get action from site's owners
Summary
“Striking” plans to transform Cheltenham’s long-empty Cavendish House site into a vibrant town centre destination, complete with a grand public square, elegant shopping arcades, cafes, restaurants, homes and public spaces, have been unveiled. The visionary scheme for the Promenade landmark known as “Cavendish Exchange” has been developed by Cynthia Hartmann, founder and creative director of Interior Design CH.
Details
It is part of her graduate studies at the University of Gloucestershire, and has since been supported by Cheltenham Civic Society (CCS), which has helped test its commercial and financial viability.
No formal planning application is expected to be submitted for this scheme but the ambitious £100 million proposal reimagines one of the spa town’s most prominent and problematic vacant buildings as a lively mixed-use quarter, reconnecting the Promenade with Regent Street and the Everyman Theatre.
The Civic Society says the plans represent a bold and detailed iteration of the initial concept put forward by them in 2024 as part of its long-running campaign to make sure that any development proposal will benefit the town, not just the investors.
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This development proposal would create what many believe Cheltenham has long lacked – a true civic heart and town square capable of bringing new life, energy and footfall into the town centre, they said. And they believe it would not only bring life to the CavHouse site itself, but it would supercharge the economy of adjoining streets, notably Regent Street and the High Street.
The unveiling of the scheme also raises uncomfortable questions for site owner Canada Life, which has spent years without bringing forward a deliverable vision or redevelopment proposal. The building’s former occupiers, House of Fraser, closed their doors in April 2024 but it is understood talks about the building’s future began more than six year ago.
Hartmann’s proposed redevelopment would involve selective demolition of the existing Cavendish House building to create a dramatic new public square opening directly off the Promenade. This elegant and welcoming space is designed to reconnect some of Cheltenham’s most important streets for the first time in generations. At the heart of the scheme is a complete reimagining of the building’s tired 1960s facade.
In its place, Hartmann’s design introduces a series of elegant, glazed double-height arches, creating a far more refined and visually striking frontage befitting Cheltenham’s Regency character and international reputation, according to the Civic Society.
Original source: Cheltenham Civic Society