Community members back Ashchurch retail outlet and garden centre scheme but have concerns over traffic and flooding
PLANS to build a £30 million retail outlet centre at Ashchurch have been welcomed by the community.
But some have qualified their support for the proposed development by saying traffic and flooding fears must be allayed.
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Worries: Dave Witts is concerned how the proposed outlet centre will impact on flooding
As revealed in yesterday's Echo, Robert Hitchins Ltd wants to build a retail outlet and a garden centre on fields either side of the BP garage on the A46, close to junction nine of the M5.
Subject to the company getting planning permission, it hopes building work could begin in 2015 and the centres could be open by spring 2016.
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The development would see up to 70 shops opening and up to 1,000 full and part-time jobs being created.
Another 175 temporary construction jobs would also be created.
Mary Ball's Newton Farm is one of the businesses on the A46 at Ashchurch likely to be affected by the development.
She said: "I think it's wonderful and the area needs it.
"It's a fantastic development for Tewkesbury – good for business and creating jobs too."
The development would be a short walk from Ashchurch Railway Station and campaigners hoping to increase usage of the facility believe it could work in their favour.
John Stretton, of the Ashchurch, Tewkesbury and District Rail Promotion Group, said: "It could be a positive influence on the station and public transport, helping to reduce greenhouse gases through decreasing the use of cars."
County councillor for the area Gordon Shurmer (C, Ashchurch, Cleeve and Oxenton Hill) said: "This is an innovative proposal which potentially could create employment for many people.
"I will be keen to hear the views of the Highways Agency in relation to the traffic management proposals as the A46 is running at capacity at peak times now."
Angela Brown, chairman of Ashchurch Rural Parish Council, backed the plans generally but also had fears about how the A46 would cope with extra traffic. "It's at capacity at the moment," she said.
Dave Witts, of the Severn and Avon Valley Combined Flood Group, said the scheme seemed "excellent" but he had concerns about its possible impact on flooding.
The nearby Tirle Brook would need to be enhanced to allow it to take run-off from the development, he said.
5 Comments
by aroakley
Monday, February 25 2013, 11:27PM
“British people selling stuff to other British people won't fix the British debt crisis. What we need to do is to sell stuff abroad. We need to make things, and sell them to foreigners. Ashchurch is a beacon of manufacturing and engineering expertise; we need more of that, not more shops. It is a shame to see land around Ashchurch sold off to retailers who'll do very little to help our economy - assuming they pay their tax in the UK at all. A few dozen part-time shelf stackers and checkout assistants on minimum wage, selling imported tat to other local people on minimum wage, is no substitute for a several hundred real careers in making real things.
Plus, anyone who thinks people from Birmingham or Bristol are going to drive 50 miles to Tewkesbury when they've already got Merry Hill and Cribbs Causeway on their doorstep, is smoking some powerful jazz cigars. This is another Ross-On-Wye "Labels" waiting to happen.”
by safeandnice
Saturday, February 23 2013, 5:08PM
“As said in the other thread, this may be a boost for Aschurch and the area nearby but its no win for Tewkesbury centre with subsidised buses bringing shoppers out. But may be good for the shoppers!
They'll have to get someone who knows what theyre doing to sort out the roads too”
by tewkman
Saturday, February 23 2013, 12:41PM
“Its in the wrong place. The A46 and junction 9 is already too contested. When the M5 is closed due to accidents the area is grid locked. The best solution would be to build this at junction 10 and make the developer pay a major contribution to altering the junction to both ways.”
by Matt1006
Saturday, February 23 2013, 11:48AM
“Not sure it being close to the railway station will make much difference. Do they really think that customers to this new development might travel by train, rather than by car? From Cheltenham / Gloucester to the south, or Worcester to the north? Seriously?
With the new supermarket opposite, and possibly hundreds of new homes on the Ashchurch Camp site, the traffic issues must be a major consideration.
Gloucestershire Highways and the Highways Agency need to make sure they call the shots, and not the developer, who will do as little as possible beyond the boundary of their site if allowed to.”
by jas37
Saturday, February 23 2013, 10:00AM
“This development would surely inflict considerable damage to Cheltenham Town Centre and no doubt hinder Gloucester City Centres King's Quarter development.
Retail in the centre of Cheltenham depends on attracting visitors from a wide area, clearly fashion is a mainstay. This proposed out of Town scheme just off the M5 would take much of this trade away and make it more difficult for Stanhope (the King's Quarter developers) to attract Retailers to their development.
Greenfield Out of Town developments are obviously far cheaper to build than City/Town centre developments such as Gloucester Quays or King's Quarter and do not bring anything like the level of benefits to the local economy.
This scheme appears to be totally against current Government Policy of encouraging and protecting Town Centre developments.”