New strategy to deliver garden town development agreed by council

A local authority has voted to take a fresh look at how a garden town development in Gloucestershire will be delivered.

The plans for the garden town would see over 10,000 new homes built on the outskirts of Tewkesbury.

Tewkesbury Borough Council has receive £750,000 funding from the government for the project.

But a review was carried out after concerns were raised about the project and the lack of communication with residents and developers.

The report was commissioned by the borough council and carried out by consultants Cratus.

The findings of the report have now been backed by the council which has agreed to adopt a new approach.

The new strategy will see a commitment to increased community engagement, and improved collaboration with partners and developers.

A new programme of delivery, based on the review’s 17 recommendations will now be developed and presented to the council in September.

Importantly, the review highlights that without a garden town programme to guide high-quality sustainable housing, the risk of poor-quality, piecemeal development would be considerable.

Supporting a new approach, the council is also developing a Strategic Framework Plan, which will enable a collaborative approach with developers and communities to designing and building the Garden Town over the coming decades.

Richard Stanley, Leader of Tewkesbury Borough Council, said: “I am pleased that the findings of the gateway review have been fully acknowledged and a new approach for the garden town can now be developed.

“We are committed to taking account of stakeholders’ views and working more closely with local residents, parish councils, landowners and the full consortium of developers. We can now begin the important work of developing a new programme that rebuilds meaningful community engagement and has an outward-looking communications strategy.

“The report puts forward suggestions for delivering the Garden Town in ways that will satisfy not only current but also future needs, with the emphasis on delivering high-quality green homes and infrastructure capable of supporting healthy communities and fostering community spirit. Our fresh approach champions well-designed, holistically planned development, creating sustainable communities and enhancing the natural environment, with a focus on addressing the issue of climate change.

“This decision to progress with a new garden town approach reduces the risk of uncoordinated growth around Ashchurch and prioritises high-quality housing and joined up decisions about infrastructure.”