Plans to add a rendered finish to improve external wall insulation to 49 homes in Cheltenham have been given the go-ahead. Cheltenham Borough Homes has been granted permission to go ahead with the works to the dozens of properties in Welch Road.
The properties are currently faced in brick but the proposed external wall insulation would have a rendered finish with brick slip detailing to the front corners and above the main front windows.
Councillors approved going ahead with the improvements for properties 16-18, 30-36, 46-60 and 64-70 (even) and 9-11, 15-31, 35-57, 63, 67-77 (odd), within the Hester’s Way ward. Officers say the installation of externally insulation will help the Borough Council meet its target for Cheltenham to be net carbon zero by 2030 and this project is being supported by the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.
An external insulation system was chosen over internal insulation as disruption to the residents will be limited and the external insulation systems reduce the risk of creating consequential damp and mould problems. During the planning committee meeting on December 19, Cllr Simon Wheeler (LD, Hesters Way) asked if it would be possible to offer the improvement to privately-owned properties in the area.
“It’s not a condition we can put on but where we have a number of houses which have been purchased by other people,” he said. “Could we offer some sort of deal to those houses which aren’t within this scheme that they can get their house done.
The properties to be upgraded are outlined in red
(Image: CBC)
“It would make our properties look better if they are all the same and it would be a benefit to those properties. I’m not suggesting that we should do it for free but they may be able to get their houses done at a better price than if they had to do it independently.”
Chairman Garth Barnes (LD, College) said he did not believe that was a planning issue. “It may be possible, but not within the planning framework,” he said.
“I understand what you’re saying but I don’t think we have any jurisdiction over that.”
Officers said it fell outside the remit of the planning application. The committee voted unanimously to approve the proposals.