JCS_MasterDocument_FIN_27.03.18

4.2.7
Gloucester City Council has an adopted
‘Regeneration and Economic Development
Strategy’ (January 2016), which sets out a
range of regeneration sites and priorities,
many of which are already making good
progress. This includes for example the
King’s Quarter area, which will provide a new,
modern bus station as part of an integrated
public transport interchange, as well as other
main town centre uses including retail and
leisure. It is important these regeneration
proposals are prioritised and protected from
inappropriate developments elsewhere.
4.2.11
4.2.12
For Gloucester City Centre, the policy identifies
the Primary Shopping Area, primary and
secondary shopping frontages and the City
Centre boundary, and which uses will be
supported in the different locations. It also sets
out the approach for proposals for retail and
other main town centre uses, located outside of
these areas. For centres located in Cheltenham
Borough and Tewkesbury Borough, saved
policies in the Local Plans will be used.
Following the adoption of the JCS, this policy
will be subject to an immediate review.
4.2.8
4.2.9
Tewkesbury town is an important designated
centre in the JCS and the primary service
centre in the Borough. However, in accordance
with its status as a market town, it provides
a more localised function which includes the
catchment of the town and the surrounding
rural hinterland. Tewkesbury has a proactive
regeneration partnership which brings together
public, private and community organisations to
deliver economic prosperity and environmental
quality for the town. The partnership works to
coordinate, support and facilitate the delivery
of the Tewkesbury town Centre Masterplan
and projects that contribute to the future
improvement of the town including the
continued improvement of its retail offer.
Within Tewkesbury Borough, smaller rural
service centres, such as Winchcombe and
Bishop’s Cleeve, provide for their residents
and the residents of surrounding rural areas.
Winchcombe and Tewkesbury also function
as important tourist destinations.
4.2.13
4.2.14
Delivery
This is a strategic-level policy that aims to set
out broad principles for retail and centres across
the JCS area. There are several key elements
that the policy does not cover, but which will
be addressed through District plans and / or
city, town or rural service centre strategies.
These include the allocation of non-strategic
sites to provide for identified need, and the
identification of locally defined thresholds for
impact assessments (as necessary) and the
approach towards smaller non-strategic centres.
For the avoidance of doubt, references to ‘town
centres’ and ‘town centre uses’ in this policy
and throughout the JCS document are intended,
unless otherwise stated, to apply to city centres,
town centres, district centres and local centres
and should be read as having the same meaning
as the definition of ‘town centres’ and ‘town
centre uses’ included in the NPPF.
4.2.10
The policy set out above has been prepared in
the context of the NPPF and Planning Practice
Guidance. It is underpinned by evidence
contained in the JCS Retail Study (Phase 1, 2011)
and the JCS Retail Study (2015). This identifies
floorspace requirements for comparison
goods (clothes, furniture etc) and convenience
goods (food) for each of the main settlements
identified in the hierarchy up to 2031. The Retail
Study (Phase 1) also provided an analysis of the
health of the different designated centres in the
JCS area. This understanding of the health of
the different town centres has helped to inform
policy at JCS level and will also form a key part
of the evidence in preparing the District plans.
Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Joint Core Strategy 2011-2031
Adopted December 2017
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