An outline planning application has been submitted for the North Ashchurch Garden Community.
Prepared by the North Ashchurch Consortium (Mansfield Partners LLP, Bellway Homes, Bromford Developments Ltd and Homes England) and its extensive technical team, the outline application is to establish the principle of development for:
Up to 2,800 homes, two Local Centres including community, employment, commercial, retail, leisure and/or public house, health facilities and public open space, education provision including two primary schools with early years facilities and a secondary school, green infrastructure and public open space including amenity parks, formal recreation (sports pitches), community gardens / orchards and strategic landscape planting, a new pedestrian (over rail) bridge crossing. All matters are reserved, save for details of access in respect of the vehicular/pedestrian/cycle accesses from Hardwick Bank Road, B4079, and A46; and the construction of a spine road (Central Street) connecting the A46 to the east with Hardwick Bank Road to the west, including a new bridge over the railway line.
The application is in outline, which does not determine the location, design or layout of each individual building or space, it seeks a decision on the general principles of how a site can be developed.
A detailed Design and Access Statement and Strategic Design Code are included to secure the design quality of the scheme as part of future Reserved Matters (detailed) planning applications, and illustrations and technical drawings have been prepared in line with the vision. Subsequent Reserved Matters applications will provide details on the appearance, means of access, landscaping, layout and scale.
The land, which lies to the east of the M5, north of Ashchurch and the A46, forms a key part of the Tewkesbury Garden Communities’ project which is set to provide linked, sustainable and vibrant areas where people can live, work and play.
The application has been informed by ongoing engagement with key stakeholders and landowners, for example Tewkesbury Borough Council (TBC), Gloucestershire County Council, Gloucestershire Constabulary, Gloucestershire NHS, Sport England and Network Rail.
In line with National Planning Policy Framework guidelines, good practice and TBC’s Garden Communities Charter, extensive public engagement has enabled feedback into the masterplan as it evolved. This included meetings with local Parish Councils, the Gloucestershire Design Review Panel (made up of independent peers and experts) and public consultation activities and events during spring and summer 2024.
The masterplan was developed with TBC and the Gloucestershire Design Review Panel input to promote good urban design and connectivity.
Following consultation, the masterplan was updated to ensure it provides additional outdoor sports facilities and pitch requirements following advice from Sport England. It was also revised to ensure it avoids development in flood-prone areas. The outline planning application includes a Flood Risk Assessment which demonstrates the development will not increase flood risk, both on site and surrounding areas and details how this will be managed.
The Sustainable Urban Drainage (SuDS) design also integrates water management with placemaking and provides additional biodiversity opportunities, with the development delivering a minimum 10% Biodiversity Net Gain over the current site.
Working with National Highways, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire County Council Highways departments, assessment of the potential transport impacts of the proposals have thoroughly been investigated and tested as part of the planning application preparation. This includes using the County Council’s traffic modelling tools. This work has informed the proposals and details are provided with the comprehensive Transport Assessment (TA) which is included within the planning application documentation and will be assessed in detail by both GCC Highways and National Highways.
The Framework Masterplan embeds upgrades and improvements to the A46 transport corridor, by improving access and improving connectivity and traffic flow through key junctions in and around the immediate area. The traffic modelling assessment identifies further physical improvements to the local highway network, alongside a committed strategy to provide the services and facilities needed locally to reduce travel needs, and infrastructure and services to promote sustainable travel choices through the delivery of attractive and convenient provision for walking, cycling and public transport.
Around half of the land will provide new, accessible green and open spaces including a country park, ecology areas, allotments, as well as sports, recreation and play areas. An update on the masterplan following consultation is available on the website www.northashchurch.com
Robert James from Bellway Homes, on behalf of the North Ashchurch Consortium, said:
“The Tewkesbury Garden Communities proposal is a fantastic opportunity for a high-quality, highly sustainable development which delivers valuable community facilities and improvements to infrastructure in the immediate and surrounding area. We’ve listened to the community, we’ve followed Tewkesbury Borough Council’s vision for the Garden Communities set out in it’s Charter and we’ve prepared a planning application which we think will deliver a wonderful place for people to live, play and raise families. The design team has taken inspiration from the surrounding area and local characteristics, celebrating what makes Tewkesbury such a great place to live.
“The development will provide a full mix of homes, for first time buyers, growing families and the elderly and will include affordable homes and homes designed to help people access the housing ladder. New schools, healthcare, recreation, sport and neighbourhood facilities, as well as green and open spaces and extensive investment into transport and infrastructure improvements, will support the development as it progresses.
“There is much work still to do – subsequent detailed applications will offer further opportunities for local people to input into the development and we look forward to working with the community to make this fantastic opportunity a reality.”
