Development Services
We are a wide-ranging service covering: planning, planning policy, community and economic development (including our Growth Hub and tourism teams). We are also closely linked with the Garden Communities team.
Community and economic development
If you live, work or even visit Tewkesbury Borough, we are working hard for you in the community and economic development team. We’re successful too: in 2021 Tewkesbury Borough was named ‘The UK’s Strongest Local Economy’.
We provide help and advice for all sectors of the community. If you have a business in Tewkesbury Borough, you are never alone; our Growth Hub offers advice, space to work or collaborate, training workshops and one-to-one meetings with our specialist team if ever you need support.
Our residents can rely on us for support in funding community groups such as sports clubs, village halls or neighbourhood projects.
Finally, we promote our great borough to visitors. We have our wonderful Tourist Information Centre on hand to ensure we attract visitors and give them experiences that keep them coming back.
If you care about our community, the varied opportunities offered in the community and economic development team are for you!
Garden communities
Our garden communities team is a really exciting place to work – you’ll help to create whole new areas of Tewkesbury Borough which will remain in place for hundreds of years. What a thing to be able to say about your career!
We work to ensure that the plans for both our garden community programmes - a Garden Town in the Ashchurch/Northway areas and a Garden Village (in partnership with Cheltenham Borough Council) in West Cheltenham - are supported by infrastructure including roads, schools and green space to meet the future needs of the community.
Visit our Tewkesbury Garden Town website to find out more about the work of the team.
Planning
Tewkesbury Borough is one of the smallest local authorities in the UK - but don’t let that mislead you: we’re small, but mighty! We’re diverse too – you’ll get to deal with everything from Green Belt and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty to urban areas and Garden Communities.
In 2019, Tewkesbury Borough was the fastest growing local authority outside London, so if you are a planner and love place-making, our council is where you want to be!
The planning team is one of the largest within the council. We assess applications and manage the development of land and buildings in Tewkesbury Borough.
Our qualified planners are supported by the wider team, working together to protect the borough’s heritage, develop our infrastructure and review applications for building developments.
We are very proud of Tewkesbury Borough and always endeavour to maintain its distinctive attributes. We work very closely with anyone commencing building work in order to ensure it is undertaken sustainably and meets all parties’ requirements.
Planning policy
Tewkesbury Borough is one of the smallest local authorities in the UK - but don’t let that mislead you: we’re small, but mighty! We’re diverse too - you’ll get to deal with everything from Green Belt and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty to urban areas and Garden Communities.
In 2019, Tewkesbury Borough was the fastest growing local authority outside London, so if you are a planner, our council is where you want to be!
Our planning policy team is a small but important team focusing on creating plans that enable sustainable development across Tewkesbury Borough. We look at potential developments from all angles including neighbourhood, environmental and business interests, and seek to devise a plan that overcomes any potential issues and ensures all parties are properly represented.
We work closely with our neighbouring authorities of Cheltenham and Gloucester, to produce a Joint Core Strategy which provides the strategic policy direction for the area. This, along with our Local Plan and neighbourhood plans produced by our active communities, make up the development plan for the area.
Our community is everything to us. Ensuring that developments protect the natural environment, whilst also enhancing and contributing to the borough, is at the heart of everything we do.
We don’t stop there though. We continuously monitor developmental trends to check the effectiveness of any planning policies we have in place and to inform any future policies we devise.
Given the scale of exciting development in our borough, the planning policy team offers unique experiences for any planner looking to join us.
Why I love working in development services
“I love welcoming people to the area and helping them make the most of their visit. I also enjoy supporting new and existing local businesses and how our front line service role can support colleagues in economic development and community sections.”
— Rachel Thatcher, Tourist Information Centre Manager
Why I love working in development services
“Tewkesbury Borough Council is one of the most inclusive, communicative and friendly employers I've worked for. The staff are kept regularly updated on all the important matters that effect the council and are consulted on upcoming changes. The size of the council makes it a friendly place to work and you very soon begin to feel part of the 'Tewkesbury Borough family'. As an employee I feel a valued member of the organisation.”
— Catherine Ashby, Development Management Team Leader in Planning
The council is a fantastic place to work, and we are committed to leading a healthy and happy workforce. Because we value all employees both long-serving and new, you will gain access to our comprehensive benefits package from day one.