Cheltenham is proud to have retained its Purple Flag status and the town has also been nominated for a special award.
Purple Flag is a national town and city centre award – similar to the Blue Flag for beaches – which aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of town and city centres between the hours of 5pm and 5am. Areas awarded the Purple Flag are recognised for providing a vibrant and diverse mix of dining, entertainment and culture while promoting the safety and wellbeing of visitors and local residents.
In their written feedback on the assessment (which took place in December 2018), the adjudication panel reported a very positive perception of the town and noted:
- The regency architecture, parks, gardens and pedestrianised areas make the town attractive to visitors, with floodlighting of public and privately owned buildings at night
- A fantastic mix of venues for a town of this size, suitable for all ages and tastes
- A wide range of eating venues and a commitment to good food existing throughout the town
- Streets were well-lit and very appealing to walkers and people on their own
- General level of street cleaning was very good
- A strong sense of community and business partnership anchored throughout the night-time economy
In addition the panel noted the excellent, strong partnership working between all agencies (statutory and voluntary), including the police and the borough council, and the street pastors with their safe space (known as the stable) which provides a drop-in location for vulnerable people in a safe and mutual environment. The town was assessed as excellent/outstanding for its broad appeal – an evening and late night offer that is broader than youth oriented and alcohol-based activity.
Cheltenham has also been nominated for a new Purple Flag award to find the UK and Ireland’s best night-time economy. The Purple Flag accreditation uses five main core agenda themes; wellbeing, movement, appeal, place and policy. Cheltenham has been nominated under the ‘appeal’ category and will find out if it has been successful at an awards ceremony later this year in June.
Marketing Cheltenham 