Public set to be consulted on Gloucester growth

Members of the public are being asked their opinions on how best to deliver growth in Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury Borough.

The Joint Core Strategy was adopted in December 2017 and this sets out the identified need and location for employment and housing sites, and associated infrastructure, up to 2031.

The adoption came with a commitment to carry out an immediate review on the issues of housing supply for Gloucester and Tewkesbury and the retail policies for the whole area.

This review, called ‘Issues and Options’, will look again at the growth needs and options beyond 2031 and the strategy for delivering it.

The three councils have now approved the ‘Issues and Options’ consultation, the first stage of plan-making, which aims to generate engagement and ideas on these key issues.

Issues and options 

It is important to recognise that the Issues and Options review does not propose a new strategy, new sites or policies. Rather, the consultation document asks members of the public, and any other stakeholders, a number of key questions to help develop a way to best deliver growth, including:

• What should the scope of the review be?
• What time-frame should the review plan for?
• Are the JCS vision, aims and objectives still relevant?
• How can the review best plan for city/town centres so they remain vital and viable in the future?
• Are there suitable sites for development?
• What infrastructure needs should be considered?

Senior Responsible Officer for the Joint Core Strategy and Tewkesbury Borough Council’s Chief Executive, Mike Dawson, said: “We encourage members of the public to take part in this initial consultation which will take place at the end of November through to the New Year. It’s important that as many people as possible tell us how they feel about the Issues and Options so that we can consider the feedback carefully in the further development of the JCS review.”