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 stage of the review, called ‘Issues and Options’, will look again at the growth needs and options up to and potentially 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.
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,
15 key questions to help develop a way to best deliver growth, including:
– What should the scope of the review be?
– What timeframe 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?
The consultation lasts for over eight weeks between Monday, 12 November 2018 and Friday, 11 January 2019.
A Consultation event will be held at Tewkesbury Town Hall on 13 December 4-7pm, where members of the public can come along, ask questions and have their say. Alternatively, members of the public can view the consultation documents and have their say online at https://jointcorestrategy.org/joint-core-strategy-review
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 reviewThis consultation will take place for the minimum statutory 6 week period between the 12th November 2018 and 11th January 2019.
Comments received by the deadline will be considered and will help to inform the preparation of the plan.