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Tewkesbury Civic SocietyProtecting Tewkesbury's Architectural Heritage and ensuring today's developments add positively to it.
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Policies
JOINT CORE STRATEGY (JCS)
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The government has recently introduced a ‘Duty to Co-operate’ between public authorities. Local councils, and other bodies involved in writing planning policies and influencing decisions on planning applications, have to work together to make sure that development issues that cross council boundaries are dealt with properly.
A cursory look at the boundaries of the three Authorities, Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury, shows clearly that any significant increase in homes centred upon Gloucester or Cheltenham must be located within Tewkesbury Borough, thus making the need to co-operate imperative. This co-operation started before it became compulsory. The process of developing a Joint Core Strategy (JCS) started in 2008 and it was adopted in December 2018. The submitted JCS version to the Planning Inspectorate was in November 2014 and an Inspector assigned to examine the Plan for “soundness” prior to adoption. Various adjustments have been made, some involving changes to assigned sites of proposed housing development. |
The Inspector produced an interim report on 31st May 2016 which proposed “Main Modifications” requiring acceptance by all three Authorities. Among these is the acceptance of a raised housing total to 35,175 (inclusive of a 5% uplift to boost affordable housing) together with assignment of a Twigworth housing development site for 995 units.
All three Authorities challenged the increased housing total, to no avail, and Tewkesbury initially declined to assign the site at Twigworth.
All “Main Modifications” were accepted first by Cheltenham and Gloucester then finally, with a modest majority, by Tewkesbury!
The consequences of not accepting the “Main Modifications” risked the Inspector almost certainly not declaring the JCS “sound” and it not being adopted. There was the potential loss of Government “New Homes Bonus” for Tewkesbury alone worth £3.2m. A Tewkesbury Borough Local Plan development process would have to fully replace the JCS work. There would be an extended period when developers would have carte-blanche to seek development approval wherever they chose. These threats clearly swayed opinion.
One of the recent stumbling blocks from Tewkesbury’s perspective has been the MOD’s ambivalence concerning its release of Ashchurch Camp site for housing (2125 units were assigned there in the submitted JCS). The MOD later confirmed it will not be released as hoped. It was taken out of the JCS leaving a shortfall.
All three Authorities challenged the increased housing total, to no avail, and Tewkesbury initially declined to assign the site at Twigworth.
All “Main Modifications” were accepted first by Cheltenham and Gloucester then finally, with a modest majority, by Tewkesbury!
The consequences of not accepting the “Main Modifications” risked the Inspector almost certainly not declaring the JCS “sound” and it not being adopted. There was the potential loss of Government “New Homes Bonus” for Tewkesbury alone worth £3.2m. A Tewkesbury Borough Local Plan development process would have to fully replace the JCS work. There would be an extended period when developers would have carte-blanche to seek development approval wherever they chose. These threats clearly swayed opinion.
One of the recent stumbling blocks from Tewkesbury’s perspective has been the MOD’s ambivalence concerning its release of Ashchurch Camp site for housing (2125 units were assigned there in the submitted JCS). The MOD later confirmed it will not be released as hoped. It was taken out of the JCS leaving a shortfall.
As an option to meet the shortfall of the Tewkesbury housing numbers in the JCS, a project was initiated with support from Homes England to review the Ashchurch wider area. This area has also been defined as a Housing Zone to help support the development assessment.
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As part of this Tewkesbury Borough Council has commissioned consultants to prepare a concept masterplan and delivery strategy for the Tewkesbury Area with the following aims:
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Subsequently this led to Tewkesbury being awarded Garden Town status (see ISSUES)
Quite recently the MOD released some of its site for housing which will presumambly have a relieving effect on TBC's shortfall.
Any developments, if they transpire, will have quite significant effects on Tewkesbury’s infrastructure and services.
Quite recently the MOD released some of its site for housing which will presumambly have a relieving effect on TBC's shortfall.
Any developments, if they transpire, will have quite significant effects on Tewkesbury’s infrastructure and services.
Click on the image below to see many more JCS details and documents links.
