NEW pavements in Cheltenham town centre have received a mixed reaction as traders and shoppers have called them a "big improvement" and "really dangerous".
Gloucestershire County Council has been repaving the Promenade between Imperial Square and Ormond Place since April, and the work is due to be complete early next month.
Richard Austin, a director of home and gift store Vinegar Hill, has praised the new pavements, saying they are "much better" than the previous surface. He said: "I think they are a big improvement. They look fantastic, and the risk now of slipping over is much smaller than it was before."
Lauren Mullen, a supervisor at shoe shop Russell & Bromley, says the new surface is much safer.
She said: "Before the pavements were replaced, a lot of customers were slipping over and we were having to bring them inside because they were hurt. It was really difficult for people in wheelchairs too.
"It's much better now. It's more even and looks better."
However, town centre shopper Julie Stanley, 51, says the new surface is "far worse than it was before".
The nurse, who lives in The Reddings in Cheltenham, said: "When it has rained and the leaves are on the floor it's treacherous.
"Myself and my colleague have slipped, so we worry about elderly people. I'm concerned about health and safety.
"I walk along the gravel part by the road now because it's safer there than the pavement. It's really dangerous."
York stone paving slabs have been used for the £200,000 project, which was jointly funded by the county council and Cheltenham Borough Council.
County council local highways manager Chris Riley said: "At this time of year, when the autumnal conditions arrive, it is normal to find leaves on the ground and this can make surfaces more slippery.
"Cheltenham Borough Council is responsible for clearing leaves away and we have contacted them regarding leaves on and around newly laid paving slabs on the Promenade."
