Developers and community groups come together to sign Garden Communities Charter
Posted on: 14 August 2024
Tewkesbury Borough Council’s Garden Communities Charter has received endorsement from developers and community groups alike as the first group of signatories are announced.
Back row (l-r) Mark Thorne, Bromford; Martha Mundy, Garden Communities Programme Co-ordinator, Robert James, Bellway Front row (l-r): Gary Belcher, Bromford; Jonathan Dibble, Garden Communities; George Bossom, Mansfield Partners
Bellway, Bromford and Mansfield Partners (which together form the North Ashchurch Consortium), along with Northway Parish Council, Gloucestershire Rural Communities Council and St. Nicholas’ Parochial Church Council have each signed up to the charter’s nine development principles.
Some organisations have signed up at meetings with the Garden Communities team while others have been signing up to the charter digitally, through the Garden Communities pages on the council’s website.
Council Leader, Cllr Richard Stanley, said: “We’re delighted to finally be able to announce these signatories to the charter. During the pre-election period, there are rules about what we can and can’t do, and several things had to be put on hold. It’s a very encouraging step to announce the first community leaders and committed developers supporting the principles of the charter.”
The charter states that “By supporting this charter, we set our expectations of the delivery of the Garden Communities to ensure these are the priority and developers can ensure the principles are met.”
A new approach to the delivery of the Garden Communities programme was approved by Tewkesbury Borough Council in July 2023. The programme includes a commitment to increased community engagement and better collaboration with partners and developers. The charter was developed to set out the council’s expectations and aspirations for the Garden Communities. It will serve as an agreement between all parties, on the principles by which development will be guided.
Robert James, on behalf of the North Ashchurch consortium, said: “We’re pleased to support the principles set out in the Garden Communities Charter. Our vision for North Ashchurch is in harmony with the aims of the charter as it seeks to deliver a vibrant, healthy and happy place for people to live and work in this beautiful area on the edge of the Cotswolds.”
Mike Barnes, Chairman of Northway Parish Council, which neighbours the northern area of the proposed development, added: “The Northway Parish Council supports the aims and intentions of the Garden Communities Charter. It is our fervent hope that the proposed development will also give serious consideration to the wider issues (that of flooding and traffic management) both within this development and beyond.”
The nine principles in the charter are:
- Maintain existing communities alongside the development of new areas, reflecting local character.
- A strong identity and character of place.
- Interconnected water infrastructure (ponds, brooks, streams, and rivers).
- Carbon-neutral communities and building sustainably for climate resilience.
- Great green spaces for people and wildlife.
- Sustainable wider connectivity.
- Integrated live, work, play communities.
- Owned and rented homes, housing types and densities supporting diverse communities.
- Promoting community ownership and longer-term stewardship.
A copy of the charter is available to read or download here.
