Tewkesbury Garden Town Progress Report 2021

Delivering Tomorrow’s Tewkesbury

1 “With immense historical significance, fabulous countryside, modern businesses, a town at the confluence of two major rivers, a central UK location and the potential to offer so much more, Tewkesbury is a place standing on the edge of a glittering future.” The Tewkesbury Story

Birmingham An exciting new future for Tewkesbury is being created with “We want to build communities Tewkesbury Garden Town. holistically and comprehensively, in a way that is inclusive, delivering Located in Gloucestershire, one of the fastest high-quality housing and offering Tewkesbury growing areas in the Country, Tewkesbury Borough Council has ambitious plans to build strong links to essential community on its extraordinary heritage and excellent facilities like doctors’ surgeries, location, to develop a transformational A46 schools and sustainable transport new community. Tewkesbury Garden Town will provide 10,195 homes and over 100ha of options. We look forward to working Historic centre employment land, bringing thousands of new together with our residents, parish of Tewkesbury jobs and sustainable live-work opportunities. and town councils and business M5 The development will include new schools, representatives to bring forward health and community facilities and a this exciting programme and create creative mix of housing design, as well as a quality legacy for the future.” ea integrated walk-cycle greenways and better ar Te own links to the rail station. wkesbury Garden T — Councillor Rob Bird, Leader, This report covers the progress made from Tewkesbury Borough Council the inception of this exciting new initiative, in 2019, through to March 2021. Bristol

2 Visioning

Tewkesbury Garden Town will deliver a transformational

growth strategy for Tewkesbury. ACCESS The historic town and future TO NATURE Garden Community, will together become the dynamic hub that supports the wider EISTING heartland, driving prosperity COMMUNITIES SUSTAINABLE for future generations. HOMES

What is a Garden Town anyway? TRANSPORT LINKS BUSINESS The Garden City Movement was RETAIL founded by Ebenezer Howard in the late 19th Century. Garden Cities were new settlements designed to bring together WORKSPACE the best of town and country, to create HISTORIC TOWN WALK & a self-sustaining community. CCLE ROUTES

Community is at the heart of the HEALTH Garden City movement, with the FACILITIES principles of collective land ownership, GREEN SPACES land value capture and stewardship.

These original principles have been re-imagined and adapted to address SOCIAL SPACES current issues such as sustainability SUPERMARKET and climate change and today we have the national Garden Communities Programme led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local BLUE INFRASTRUCTURE Government, of which Tewkesbury borough is fortunate to be a part of.

Illustrative purposes only

3 Why is the Tewkesbury Garden Town so important to the future of Tewkesbury?

Towns are forever evolving. Demand for housing is increasing, with more single person households and people living longer. Development is inevitable but it can’t afford to be piecemeal.

The impact on roads, schools and other services, if not thought through properly, can cause significant issues. It is important that we don’t leave this evolution of Tewkesbury to chance. We want to manage it in a way that ensures the best quality of life for our communities.

Through the Tewkesbury Garden Town, there is the opportunity to manage and influence future development, to create a place that has the best quality, © Adobe/RawPixel.com sustainable housing and infrastructure, working with the people of the area, to benefit everyone, both now and for the future.

Not only is this about housing, it is really important to have the land available to support new and improved job opportunities too. Keeping people in the area for work is important to build a sense of community and to support the growth of local businesses. Tewkesbury does not want to simply become a dormitory to support people commuting to Cheltenham or Gloucester. It needs to thrive as a self-contained town offering a mix of housing, local employment, recreation and neighbourhood facilities in order to nurture and maintain its own culture, vitality and sense of community.

4 Business Function Junction

“With its historic connections and superb countryside, Tewkesbury is a place where business functions successfully at the junction of major UK markets.” The Tewkesbury Story

With its location next to the M5, linking directly to Bristol and “Tewkesbury is a pivotal player in Birmingham, access to major the growth of the local and regional markets could not be easier. Engineering skills businesses such economy and the Garden Town presents as Porsche, modern cyber-based a timely opportunity to respond to businesses such as TRL Technology such economic growth potential more and AMAG Technology, and the new world leading Golden Valley cyber proactively. It will strengthen the campus on the edge of the Borough great business asset base in the area, near Cheltenham, are attracting attracting more investment and high a myriad of skilled workers into NEWS: MOOG SMART the area, making it a high value value employment.” employment location. FACTORY INVESTMENT Katie Power, Growth and Enterprise Manager, The area’s proximity to the Tewkesbury Borough Council A £40m future proofed aerospace manufacturing aerospace industry of Bristol and design facility for global market leading, high- and Gloucester has seen the Ashchurch area in Tewkesbury tech manufacturer MOOG, set to open in 2023, will develop and prosper, as an serve as an important cornerstone for the planned emerging centre of excellence in Garden Town, with a 35-year lease on a brand engineering, showcasing advanced manufacturing success embodied new 184,000 sq ft facility. Projected increase in in companies such as Moog. The quality new jobs and planned production output employment strategy for the wider anticipated to double within 10 years. Garden Town will seek to build upon this valuable foundation.

5 Programme achievements and future plans

Garden Town Nine Development 1 Status Awarded 2Principles Agreed

Following a successful bid by As part of the A strong identity and Respect existing Interconnected Tewkesbury Borough Council, Masterplanning process, in March 2019 Tewkesbury nine founding Development character of place communities blue infrastructure was awarded Garden Town Principles have been celebrating water status by the Ministry of created, drawing on Housing, Communities and experience from the Local Government. long-established global Garden City Movement and Being part of a small national UK Garden Communities family of designated Model of Development, the areas, Garden Town status adopted Joint Core Strategy brings Tewkesbury many for Cheltenham, Gloucester benefits, including access and Tewkesbury (JCS) and A carbon neutral Fantastic green Enabling sustainable to government funding, stakeholder engagement community and spaces for people modes of travel knowledge and expertise, events held throughout 2019. infrastructure delivery building sustainably and wildlife support and best practice. These principles will act for climate resilience as an important blueprint for all decision making as the Tewkesbury Garden Town evolves.

Integrated Mixed-tenure homes, A social model for live/work/play housing types and sustainability communities densities for diverse communities

6 Concept Centrally Funded Engaging With 3Masterplan 4Resources in Place 5Our Community

Early thinking in terms of the Thanks to initial funding in Listening and engaging vision for the development of 2019/20 from Homes England, with local communities the Ashchurch area was first and the commitment and stakeholders will be consulted on through the JCS of Tewkesbury Borough fundamental to the success and also creatively articulated Council, a small, dedicated of the Tewkesbury Garden in The Tewkesbury Story in team have been recruited Town initiative. 2018. This exciting initiative not consisting of a Programme only underlines the aspirations Director, Manager, To ensure the process for of the Garden Town, it also Coordinator and part time engagement works well, a outlines a dynamic long- Urban Designer along with formal governance structure term future for the whole of support from consultants has been approved which will Tewkesbury and its people. and specialist advisors. take shape and become fully operational over the coming To support the vision, Further capacity funding months. Along with investment an innovative Concept has also been awarded by in additional communications Masterplan has been drawn Homes England in 2021 to resource, this will complement up in collaboration with many continue the important work and strengthen existing stakeholders and specialists. with the Masterplanning and arrangements, which include As part of a suite of emerging land assembly strategy. This a Member Reference Panel planning documents, this funding will also support based within Tewkesbury provides a guiding framework critical work around building Borough Council, and focused for Tewkesbury Garden Town, the business case for community-based sub and the key elements to be the proposed A46 off line groups, created to encourage designed and delivered over solution, and associated and support regular dialogue the next 30 years. highway network modelling © Adobe/Halfpoint with the most immediate and impact assessments. parishes of Ashchurch Rural and Northway.

7 Planning Infrastructure 6is Vital

A full analysis of all infrastructure requirements is needed to support delivery NEWS: PLANNING SECURED NEWS: NEW A46 of the Garden Town, including roads, cycle routes, pathways FOR KEY INFRASTRUCTURE: ALIGNMENT and flood management features, for example. ASHCHURCH NORTHWAY It is widely acknowledged that development in the Ashchurch area In addition, there will also be BRIDGE of Tewkesbury will be constrained a review of current developer by capacity limitations on the local contribution mechanisms, In 2018, Tewkesbury Borough Council was delighted to highways network, including the such as the Community be awarded £8.1m of grant funding by the Ministry of A46. Consequently, the team are Infrastructure Levy and Housing, Communities and Local Government, to deliver working closely with colleagues at Section 106, to help secure a new road bridge over the railway line in Ashchurch. Gloucestershire County Council and direct appropriate This bridge is an important element in the first phase who are leading on a major investment at each phase of the Garden Town, as it will help unlock key parcels of initiative to potentially re-route of development, making the land for development. the A46, onto a new alignment, overall programme more which could help facilitate a wider viable and sustainable. With planning now secured, over the next 12 months a area of development and the detailed design will be finalised, as well as procurement aspirations of the Garden Town. of a contractor, to enable construction to begin in summer 2022. Once in place, the bridge will enable a Detailed options analysis is new east-west link road, cycle path and walkway to be underway, which will inform a provided in the northern Ashchurch area, whilst also public consultation exercise later opening up access to new housing development land. in 2021. © Adobe/Freepik

8 Strategy to 7Assemble the Land

A Land Assembly Strategy in support of Phase 1 delivery of the Garden Town is being NEWS: NEWS: finalised. Local landowners and potential master MULTI- NEW HOMES developers are in talks with the Garden Town team MILLION COMING to ensure development is brought forward in line with INVESTMENT SHORTLY the Masterplan and the Development Principles. IN MOD BASE Work is underway to build 850 homes, a new As part of this, more detailed The Ministry of Defence primary school and up to analysis will become (MOD) have committed 2,000sqm of retail space necessary to understand the to the DE&S Ashchurch on land at Fiddington. feasibility and deliverability base until at least 2040, The Garden Town team of this strategy, in terms of with confirmed intentions are working closely the scale of the development to retain and expand their with the developer to and the associated operation, securing a encourage adoption infrastructure requirements. significant number of of the Garden Town jobs and the retention Development Principles. of a long-standing key employer for the area. Land on the eastern edge of the base is still likely to be released for development, and is being incorporated in the Masterplan for the Garden Town.

Creating a An Effective Establishing Partnership 8Framework 9Planning 10the Right 11 in the Golden Masterplan Policy Framework Delivery Vehicle Valley Development

Beyond the Concept Masterplan is the With the evidence provided through Additional funding received will The Tewkesbury Garden Town team are more detailed Framework Masterplan. the emerging Framework Masterplan, enable the team to explore options working closely with colleagues on the Over the next few years, this work will the team will be working closely of identifying a suitable long-term Golden Valley Development which is also focus on determining land uses, the with planning policy colleagues to delivery vehicle, which could provide the part of the national Garden Communities appropriate mix, density, design and contribute to the review process for the organisational structure, governance Programme. layout of development, infrastructure JCS, due to commence later this year. and capacity to achieve the full provision and important environmental aspirations for the Garden Town. Located beside GCHQ in West and future sustainability features. This essential part of the planning Cheltenham (part of which sits within the process will ensure the Garden Town Working with specialists to understand Borough of Tewkesbury), the development As part of this process, advice and Development Principles are adhered what is needed, it is likely that a programme will see up to 200-hectares good practice will be sought from the to, ultimately securing its status as dedicated organisation will be set up of land transformed into a world-class, wider national Garden Communities a suitable sustainable development over the next two years, to manage the multi-purpose development, including the family, whilst the team begin to work proposition, within the recognised local unique needs of the development, with development of up to 3,700 new homes. even more closely with local residents development plan for the area. Tewkesbury Borough Council itself a key and stakeholders. partner. At its core will be a Cyber Innovation Centre and the UK’s first cyber-tech campus, bringing together business, events space, academia and leisure.

10 Programme Lifecycle Timeline Tewkesbury Garden Town – 30 years in the making

2019-2021 2021-2023 2023-2025 2026-2035 2035-2050ish… Programme Inception Programme Foundation Programme Framework Programme Delivery Programme Delivery

Creating the vision and Concept Phase 1: land assembly JCS adoption – formal allocation of Phase 1: development underway Phase 1: build-out/completion Masterplan Garden Town Phase 1: Framework Masterplan, Employment Strategy Phase 2: strategy, design and Awarded Garden Communities Principles in detail and design Master planning (future phases) development Phase 2: land assembly status guidance Phase 1: planning application Employment delivery Enabling infrastructure - Nine Development Principles Phase 1: planning strategy/policy Phase 1: Infrastructure Delivery Plan delivery of A46 solution and Stewardship models and positioning (JCS) Engaging key stakeholders in the strategic requirements (e.g. schools, community governance Delivery vehicle outcome and initial vision and opportunity Governance and engagement energy and health facilities) formation Ashchurch Bridge key Review of Delivery Vehicle options infrastructure development Enabling infrastructure - completion Enabling infrastructure - of HIF funded rail bridge and Creating a Framework Masterplan construction of HIF funded rail construction of link road bridge and wider infrastructure Initial conversations with needs analysis landowners What this means: What this means: What this means: What this means: What this means:

Highlighting the need and Considering all the elements in Planning exactly what is Plans are put in place and Creation of new communities helping others understand the more detail and getting people happening, how it will be development actually starts. around new homes, new future vision for Tewkesbury. involved. Creating more of a developed and by whom. employment, new schools and structured plan of action. other innovative services.

11 “We are delighted to have been awarded Garden Communities status “We are really pleased to have been awarded Garden Town status and all that it brings, for not one, but two areas in the Borough. and valuable guidance, expertise and seed corn funding to work “As one of the fastest growing areas outside London, Tewkesbury is towards meeting our communities’ future needs. Located in one of the ‘powerhouse’ for Gloucestershire’s future growth strategy. Our the fastest growing areas in the Country, it is vital that Tewkesbury economic growth is vitally important, as prosperity helps shape evolves ...to be cut... Garden Town status is the impetus we need and places and carbon lean communities. Our employment land delivery formally recognises our genuine commitment to building vibrant and projected housing growth is significantly greater than many and thriving communities meeting the expectations of our future others in the country, so the pressure is on. generations.”

— Mike Dawson, Chief Executive, Tewkesbury Borough Council “We acknowledge that the journey will be challenging, but the proven Garden Community model and approach gives us the chance to get ahead of the speculative curve, support our ambition for success, whilst also preserving the natural beauty and precious heritage assets we have today.”

Mike Dawson, Chief Executive, Tewkesbury Borough Council

For more information: tewkesburygardentown.co.uk

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