As Cheltenham’s MP, Alex Chalk has turned up the heat on local ‘grot spots’ in a drive to make the town look its best. One of his targets has been the town’s broken and bent street railings.
Staved in by collisions, street railings at key junctions let Cheltenham down. In 2015, Chalk persuaded the Council to carry out repairs along Clarence Street, Ambrose Street, St George’s Road and the High Street. Now, after a sustained campaign by the town’s MP, the Council have agreed to go further. Chalk has now won a commitment from Gloucestershire County Council to replace railings on Gloucester Road and the recently revamped Honeybourne Gate, as well as Lansdown Road, the Montpellier roundabout, Shelburne Road and Hatherley Road.
Speaking about the issue, Mr Chalk said “We are extremely fortunate to be able to live in a town as spectacular as Cheltenham. But with that privilege comes a responsibility. The local authority has got to look after the urban environment. So I am delighted that Gloucestershire County Council have agreed to my call to crack down on bent and broken street railings. It’s these little things which actually make a big difference to how we feel about the state of our town.”
The restoration of street railings forms just one aspect of Mr Chalk’s “Grot Spot” campaign which he launched this year. Other targets include the replacement of tarmac infills, tackling of derelict buildings, and repairing the town’s potholes.