CONCEPT MASTERPLAN REPORT JANUARY 2018 Tewkesbury Area Draft Concept Masterplan Report
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Tewkesbury Area Draft Concept Masterplan CONCEPT MASTERPLAN REPORT JANUARY 2018 Tewkesbury Area Draft Concept Masterplan Report Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION 04 1.1 Growth context 05 1.2 Site Analysis 06 1.3 Benchmarking 07 2.0 FUTURE POTENTIAL OF TEWKESBURY 11 2.1 Opportunities and constraints 13 2.2 Development principles 15 3.0 DRAFT CONCEPT MASTERPLAN 17 3.1 Concept masterplan 18 3.2 Assumptions and approaches 19 3.3 Urban form and character 23 3.4 Development phasing 24 4.0 MASTERPLAN STRATEGIES 37 4.1 Transport strategy 38 4.2 Landscape strategy 48 4.3 Economic strategy 55 4.4 Community infrastructure strategy 57 4.5 Ashchurch Local Centre strategy 60 5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND NEXT STEPS 63 2 01. Introduction Tewkesbury Area Draft Concept Masterplan Report Introduction Purpose of this report Study Area Tewkesbury Borough Council has The indicative boundary of the study area commissioned BDP - and subconsultants and key elements are shown in Figure Urban Flow, Hardisty Jones and Alder King 1, which is the Tewkesbury area centred - to prepare a concept masterplan and around Ashchurch. Based on flooding delivery strategy for the Tewkesbury area and other constraints, this is considered with the following aims: to be the principal part of the Tewkesbury • Provide a holistic spatial growth strategy area with future development potential. for the area However the relationship to the existing settlement of Tewkesbury is important A46 • Support the strategic level development and the concept masterplan contained ASHCHURCH plan making process for Ashchurch and within responds to the opportunities of the surrounding areas the wider area. • Stimulate the delivery of homes and employment to meet Tewkesbury’s need TEWKESBURY J9 • Provide assistance for determining Tewkesbury is an attractive rural TOWN CENTRE planning applications for this area. market town with a high-quality historic environment. It forms part of a wider area, incorporating Northway, Ashchurch Drawing from the baseline analysis and and smaller villages. stakeholder consultation carried out in the previous months, this report sets out: • a set of development principles specific to Ashchurch and complementing the tracks railway Tewkesbury “place story” visioning M5 exercise completed by thinking place • a high level overarching spatial approach responding to the current situation and future aspirations Figure 1: The Study Area • a phasing strategy responding to N 500m the initial timeline proposed by the Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Joint Core Strategy (JCS) • Supporting approaches to transport, landscape, community infrastructure and economic growth. 4 Tewkesbury Area Draft Concept Masterplan Report 1.1 Growth Context Overarching Growth Vision The vision outlined in the Joint Core It is the view of the JCS authorities that It is clear that Tewkesbury as well as The M5 corridor acts as a key location Strategy is for the three local authorities of the Tewkesbury area has a sufficent five the surrounding region is planning for for targeted growth, providing access Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury year housing supply, and to deal with the significant growth needs in housing and and connectivity between strategic urban to be recognised nationally as enjoying requirement after 2024-2025, an immediate employment, with the strategic aim of areas in the West of England. Located a vibrant and competitive economy with housing supply review is being undertaken creating sustainable development. approximately midway between the key increased job opportunities, and being following the adoption of the JCS in urban centres of Bristol and Birmingham, an attractive place to invest. The JCS sets December 2017. the Tewkesbury area offers excellent access out a spatial strategy to provide 35,175 The Tewkesbury area is bounded to to the national road network via Junction 9 new homes and 192 hectares of B class the north by the South Worcestershire of the M5 motorway and the A46. The high employment land to support 39,500 new Development Plan (SWDP) area which accessibility of the area means that it is well jobs by 2031. Tewkesbury town and its wider is the joint development plan of the placed to provide connectivity for people area is identified in the JCS as a key location three local authorities of Malvern Hills, travelling between the wider area such for significant housing and economic Wychavon, and Worcester City. The SWDP as Cheltenham, Gloucester, Worchester, growth. The JCS identifies the provision of (2016) plans for 280 hectares of Birmingham, Bristol and Bath. 9,899 new dwellings and around 40 hectares of B class employment land within the employment land over the plan The area is located in the Gloucestershire Tewkesbury area in the plan period. period from 2016-2030, 28,400 First Local Enterprise Partnership dwellings and an increase (GFirstLEP) M5 growth zone. The primary To support this, the JCS Strategic Allocation in retail provision of around aim of the GFirstLEP is to drive sustainable site A5 designates 14 hectares lying to the 50,000m2 net floorspace. economic growth whilst improving south of Ashchurch and the A46 for the transport connections and opening up provision of employment land, a green new sites for employment and housing. infrastructure network of around five Having achieved funding for an initial hectares and high quality public transport five year growth deal, the GFirstLEP will facilities to and within the site. The delay enable greater opportunities for enhanced in the release of land at previous Strategic economic growth along the M5 corridor. Allocation A8, the MoD Ashchurch site, has There is also further potential to investigate resulted in its removal from the local plan, a connection with the Worcestershire LEP causing a shortfall of 2,450 dwellings in the to link to opportunities in the north. The Tewkesbury housing supply and 20 Ha of Tewkesbury area is therefore well placed to employment land. accommodate this growth and help to drive Given this shortfall, the Council is in the forward the sustainable development of the process of evaluating the development area, with the delivery of jobs and housing. potential in the Ashchurch area, and it is intended that a strategic, comprehensive and plan-led approach will be adopted. Figure 2: Tewkesbury regional context 5 Tewkesbury Area Draft Concept Masterplan Report 1.2 Site Analysis A Baseline Analysis report was completed Employment location and potential MoD Ashchurch site Transport issues by BDP in September 2017, which analyses Ashchurch is regarded as a prime The 64.4ha army base site was due to be The area enjoys excellent proximity to in detail the existing conditions and employment location. It supports a range released by the MoD for the delivery of up Junction 9 of the M5; however there are opportunities that have been used to guide of high skilled companies working in high to 2,125 new homes. However, the ModD severe capacity and congestion issues the development of this concept masterplan. tech and innovation sectors. It is also close will now be retaining the site for another at this junction and along the A46 which The key characteristics are summarised to universities. 10 years, with a smaller portion (15.8ha) must be addressed to facilitate strategic here. development and provide site access. This The current supply of employment potentially to be disposed of earlier. It is is discussed fully in Section 3.3. premises in the area is extremely limited. anticipated that the site will come forward Character of the area One of the JCS aims in planning for in the longer term. The based is bounded to the north by a railway spur from the Ashchurch lies to the east of Tewkesbury strategic economic growth is to enable existing businesses to expand/combine mainline, which serves the base with market town. The two areas are intermittent train use. physically separated by a green gap, their locations, and attract similar kinds of and they have varied urban characters. businesses to move to the area. Tewkesbury is a historic market town with The setting of Tewkesbury and its a concentrated settlement pattern, while surrounding countryside, along with its the Ashchurch area consists of more excellent transport connections, offers modern development. It comprises two an attractive quality of life to companies industrial areas, Tewkesbury Business looking to locate and to workers looking for Park and Ashchurch Business Centre; the homes. By balancing jobs and homes, the MoD Ashchurch site; and the residential masterplan offers people an opportunity to district of Northway, all of which have live and work in the same area. developed in a linear form along the north of the A46. The area is bisected by the M5 and the mainline rail line from Birmingham to Bristol, which presents severance issue. The two areas have a functional relationship, with Tewkesbury providing town centre functions for these outlying suburban areas. The identity of the area as a whole could be strengthened to enhance its identity as a location for living and working. N 500m 1Km Figure 3: Urban form and environmental constraints 6 Tewkesbury Area Draft Concept Masterplan Report 1.3 Benchmarking Small towns with strategic growth The similarities between Ashchurch and Bicester Eco-Town Evesham Didcot lie in their connectivity, high quality A number of small rural towns in England Bicester has been chosen due to its In addition to additional housing growth, landscape and fundamental drive for are undergoing strategic growth. The overarching aim of achieving growth for a Vale Business Park is a three phase sustainable growth. Didcot Garden Town following examples have been chosen sustainable community as an exemplar Eco- development which started with 41 hectares aims to attract visionary science and as relevant illustrative benchmarks for town. The masterplan identifies large growth of employment land in the late 1990s, advanced technologies, whilst inspiring the Tewkesbury area due to their relative areas, a town centre action area and a was extended by 25 hectares with phase green living for its residents.