It’s that time again , a small town in Gloucestershire prepares itself to play host to one of the most prestigious events, not just in horse racing but in the sporting calendar. The Gold Cup week. As the atmosphere builds, the roads closing the town gears itself up for the most eventful week.
Local Councillor Victoria Atherstone emphasises that, as much excitement as the racing brings to the town, it does have its downside when it comes to anti-social behaviour during the week. And that it requires coordination between authorities and the public.
“Residents start to understand the patterns, they know that if you leave at a certain time, it may take you hours to get somewhere that normally takes twenty minutes “.
The race week attracts crowds from up and down the country leading to road closures and causing major disruption to the local pedestrians and ramps up the pressure on local transport services alongside disruptions to local routes. Atherstone went onto explain the latest updates for transport services.
“For those that don’t want to drive in they can stop on the edge, there will be shuttle services directly from Arle court transport hub all the way up to the racecourse and that involves collaboration with the county council “.
Victoria then goes on to explain more services taking place.” Then there will be shuttle services specifically from the train station up to the racecourse”.
For road users this will mean that they must pay close attention to the road closures and diversions that are in place with certain streets being closed to help pedestrian movement and allow room for emergency authorities.
For tourists that aren’t too familiar with Cheltenham planning ahead can be a huge factor planning ahead could make a critical difference, check public transport routes and understand the route diversions and allowing for plenty of travel time.
Atherstone was sure that the residents understand the pattern when it comes to this time of year,”I think residents understand when it’s safe to go out “.
The understanding of the patterns is critical to plans for people’s days and for public safety as ,when it comes to these major sporting events you can expect heavy traffic of not just vehicles but pedestrians too.
To help the race goers’ local businesses and residents play an important role in assisting visitors around the town. They give directions and advice on which way is quieter. Knowledge from local community members can help keep the town flowing safely.
However pedestrian safety is paramount and with large crowds gathering in areas like town centre and near the racecourse people need to be on full alert. Security officials suggest sticking to pinpointed crossing and to listen to orders given by stewards and police officers.
Local authorities like police and security teams often increase their presence throughout the festival and the council work with multiple organisations and campaigns to help clamp down on the anti-social behaviour. One of which is being the “war on wee“ campaign that has been brought in to prevent public urination. To help tackle the issue the council work with the racecourse and the jockey club to ensure that they’ve got “additional toilets throughout sort of popular routes“. The campaign has brought a lot of success and “has worked quite well “.
At the end it feels as if Cheltenham is prepared for the week ahead.
