Published on 21st November 2013

plans

Planners at Cheltenham Borough Council have published responses to a recent consultation on what should be included in the Cheltenham Plan.

The Cheltenham Plan will focus on local planning issues in Cheltenham and will run alongside the Joint Core Strategy (JCS), which takes a more strategic view of planning issues across Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury.

The feedback from the consultation shows that people want a plan that recognises the special qualities of Cheltenham such as its famous architecture and open spaces. The plan also needs to provide enough housing, employment and cultural facilities for residents and visitors to the borough. People are also interested in transport issues and opportunities for redeveloping derelict ‘brownfield’ sites.

Planners are now appealing to the public once again to help with the next steps of developing the Cheltenham Plan. The annual ‘call for sites’ exercise will feed into the Cheltenham Plan and asks members of the public, businesses and the development industry to submit details of potential development sites in Cheltenham.  This will help planners identify and assess areas of Cheltenham where there could be opportunities for development. The assessment will look at a variety of uses, including housing, employment and gypsies and travellers.

‘Call for sites’ submissions need to reach Cheltenham Borough Council by 13 December 2013.

Head of Planning, Tracey Crews, said: “We're grateful to those who took the time to tell us what they think the new Cheltenham Plan should contain. We're now rolling up our sleeves and getting on with preparing the draft plan for consultation next year.  In the meantime we'll be publishing an initial vision for the plan which has been prepared in consultation with elected members and takes into account the feedback we received from the consultation exercise and which we'll be using to help guide development of the new plan's policies and proposals."

Leader of the Council, Steve Jordan, said: “The Cheltenham Plan will provide the detail that cannot be picked up through the Joint Core Strategy. This is an opportunity for residents, businesses and developers to contribute to plans to bring about positive change at a local level.”

ENDS


Press enquiries: Contact Lisa Davies, communications and web team leader on 01242 775037 or email [email protected]

Notes

•    To read the responses to the Cheltenham Plan consultation, visit: www.cheltenham.gov.uk/localplan

•    The Cheltenham Plan will focus on sites within the existing urban areas. The JCS focuses on urban extensions of a larger size.

•    Gloucester City Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council are also developing their own local plans to run alongside the JCS.

•    Full details of the ‘calls for sites’ exercise, including a downloadable site submission form, can be found on the council’s website: www.cheltenham.gov.uk/localplan.

•    For more information on the Joint Core Strategy go to www.gct-jcs.org.