Proposals for a £60m factory outlet and garden centre off the M5 at Ashchurch have been given the green light from the Government.
Developer Robert Hitchins Ltd can now forge ahead with plans to bring the retail and leisure complex to a 23-hectare site on the A46, along with up to 1,000 jobs on completion and more than 200 during construction.
Tewkesbury Borough Councillors voted overwhelmingly in favour of the outline planning application in March 2016. Because of the nature of the application, it was then referred to the Secretary of State.
The Department for Communities and Local Government has confirmed that the Government has decided not to call in the application and planning permission was subsequently granted by Tewkesbury Borough Council.
RHL’s Property and Development Director Simon Tothill said: “We’re delighted with the decision and would like to thank Tewkesbury Borough Councillors for their backing. We’re pleased to have worked with both officers and councillors in a positive way.
“We are confident that this proposal will create huge benefits for Tewkesbury town and borough, bringing up to 1,000 jobs and providing a springboard for a strong and competitive economy.”
The out-of-town retail outlet centre will offer clothing, sport and leisure goods alongside a garden centre on the south side of the A46 immediately adjacent to J9 of the M5.
There will be a tourist information point at the outlet and a shuttle bus into Tewkesbury town centre which will link with Ashchurch railway station, providing an opportunity to promote the area as an all-year-round tourism and leisure destination.
“The Ashchurch development will provide a leisure destination in its own right which will create undoubted spin-offs for Tewkesbury and the local economy,” said Mr Tothill.
“It will provide end-of-lines and discounted goods with restaurants and a garden centre in a great location – one of the major junctions on the M5 – attracting visitors from Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham as well as the Cotswolds.”
The next step is to work up a detailed design for the scheme which will need to be agreed via a reserved matters planning application to Tewkesbury Borough Council, likely to be submitted in 2017.
“We have significant occupier interest already from companies interested in coming to Ashchurch and meetings are taking place,” said Mr Tothill.
“But there is a lot involved in a scheme of this nature. First, all the factors of the planning application have to be taken into account. Design work also needs to be undertaken which will take some months before we submit a further planning application.”
A significant package of S106 measures have been agreed which will contribute £1.2 million towards town centre initiatives in Tewkesbury and £364,000 towards major improvements to the A46.
