Cheltenham's new MP has welcomed a decision by the prospective owners of Eagle Tower to withdraw their controversial application to convert the building into flats.
Earlier this month, the developers, who were believed to be in the process of purchasing the iconic Cheltenham office block, submitted an application to turn the building into 96 flats. The proposal ran into opposition from local MP Alex Chalk and local residents, who expressed concern about the potential loss of high quality office space, as well as the impact on traffic in an already congested part of the town.
But now the threat to the Eagle Tower appears to have evaporated, with the prospective owner's planning consultants sending an email to Cheltenham Borough Council's planning team informing them of their intention to withdraw the proposal.
Commenting on the news, Mr Chalk said ''I'm delighted to hear of this change of heart, and congratulate the applicant for seeing the bigger picture. Cheltenham does not have anything like enough high quality office space, and losing these offices in the Eagle Tower would have been a hammer blow to the town. Now we need to redouble our efforts to create a strong economic plan for Cheltenham's future, to attract new businesses and make our town more vibrant still.''