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As local elections approach, Tewkesbury Borough Council is urging residents to make sure they are registered to vote.

Residents have until Friday 12 April 2019 to register to ensure they are able to vote in the borough and parish elections on Thursday, 2 May 2019. All that’s needed is a National Insurance number and just five minutes of time to visit here.

In the event that a registered elector is away or cannot go to their polling station on 2 May 2019 then they can either apply to vote by post or apply to vote by proxy (nominate someone to vote on their behalf) – simply visit yourvotematters.co.uk to download the relevant application form.
Completed applications must be received by the following closing dates:-
• Application to vote by post – 5pm on Monday 15 April 2019
• Application to nominate a proxy – 5pm on Wednesday 24 April 2019

Stand for what you believe in

The borough council would also like to encourage those who are passionate about their local community to consider standing as a councillor. Elections for Tewkesbury Borough Council take place every four years, with 38 councillors elected across 20 wards.

• Nominations for candidates are open and we will be receiving nominations right up until 4pm on Wednesday 3 April 2019. The council will publish its Statements of Persons Nominated by 4pm on Thursday 4 April 2019.

To find out more about becoming a councillor, visit tewkesbury.gov.uk/stand

For more information on the 2019 local elections, including nomination packs for the borough wards that can be downloaded, visit tewkesbury.gov.uk/elections-2019

Hucclecote Parish Council is calling on residents, passionate about their community to stand in the local elections in May 2019.

There are a few rules to stand for election, full guidance can be found here.

If you want an informal chat about the process call Sarah, our parish clerk (the office is open weekday mornings). Or come along to one of our informal ‘surgeries’ where we will happily talk you through the process.

We are keen to recruit a diverse range of people – young and old – to represent the Parish. And we’re especially keen on people skilled in things like IT, communications, finance, Planning and HR/legal issues.

The first surgery is 10am on Saturday 23rd February; the second is at 10am on Saturday 2nd March 2019 at the Pineholt Village Hall.

We are holding a third surgery on Saturday 23rd March 10 – 12, so please come along.

Nomination packs will be available from early March, you will need to get two local people to nominate and second you. If more people are nominated than the nine places we have on the council there will then be an election. You may then have to set out why you feel you’d make a good councillor so that local people understand what you have to offer. The election will take place on 2nd May 2019.

Highways England continue to make good progress on the A417 Missing Link and hope to announce their preferred route in the spring. You can read more about what they’ve been up to in their latest newsletter, click here.

SAVE THE DATE – 6TH JULY 2019

If you are a community organisation looking for volunteers, or you want to attract new members to join your club or society why not join us at next summer’s Hullabaloo? The event will be a ‘showcase’ for all the activities that take place in Hucclecote. We already have a range of sporting and other activities lined up, and we are especially keen on displays that enable local people to ‘have a go’ or try out something new.

Call the parish office on 01452 612485 (mornings) for more details. Its free!

The Community Engagement Vehicle will be outside Tesco (Brockworth) on Wednesday 16th January 2019.

If you are in the area please come and visit and speak to the officers about crime prevention or please feel free to say hello.

The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Monday 14th January 2019 (please note revised date) at the Pineholt Village Hall starting at 6.30 p.m.

All residents of the parish are welcome to attend.

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It will also help your local policing teams better police your neighbourhood, for further details and to register click here.

Tewkesbury Growth Hub is now open for business – an exciting new space where the local business community can work, meet and get access to important resources in a supportive environment.

In a first for the country, the Growth Hub is based inside Tewkesbury Borough’s Public Services Centre meaning businesses can access unrivalled support and advice from council services, including important regulatory, planning and environmental health advice.

Promoting entrepreneurship, innovation and business growth in the area, the Hub offers support to businesses of all types, from pre-start to existing companies and organisations looking to grow. It forms part of the Gloucestershire Growth Hub network, supporting local enterprises to achieve their potential, expand and create jobs.

It was officially opened by Councillor Rob Bird, Leader of Tewkesbury Borough Council and David Owen CEO of Gfirst LEP on 21 November at a packed launch event, including local businesses who shared their experiences of support received through the Growth Hub network.

Councillor Rob Bird, Leader Tewkesbury Borough Council, said: “The Tewkesbury Growth Hub is a major boost for local businesses of all types and sizes, and I encourage everyone to make full use of the help, advice, resources and facilities available.

“It fulfills two key council objectives: practical support for business growth and prosperity and the one-stop customer service experience, by co-coordinating our services to businesses through one contact point.

“This is the first Growth Hub in the UK hosted by a local council, illustrating our driving ambition to help businesses grow successfully, which creates prosperity for a thriving community.”

Nigel Dawson from Café Au Chocolat in Tewkesbury spoke at the event about his experience of business support through the council and growth hub. He said: “We have found the advice and guidance we received from both the council and the Growth Hub invaluable and I would really encourage small businesses to get in touch with them to see how they can help develop businesses further.”

Jake Berry, Minister for Local Growth, said of the launch: “This Government is committed to boosting economic growth across the whole of the UK and building a Britain fit for the future.

“The latest addition to the Gloucestershire Growth Hub network in Tewkesbury, backed by £465,000 from the Local Growth Fund, will deliver jobs and boost productivity for local businesses.

“It’s great to see the network expanding right across Gloucestershire, part of a £9.4m investment in Growth Hubs across the county.”

Diane Savory, Chair of GFirst LEP added: “Back in 2013 we came up with the original concept of a Growth Hub network offering business support right across the county. The original Growth Hub in Longlevens, in partnership with the University of Gloucestershire, opened its doors in October 2014 and has worked with over 2,000 businesses since then.

“The Tewkesbury Growth Hub, forms an integral part of the public service element of Tewkesbury Borough Council. It is fabulous and a real coup as it is the only Growth Hub to be located within and partnered with a borough council in England.

“The Growth Hub is certainly an amazing space for local businesses to work, build wider commercial networks and access the support they need to encourage and realise their growth potential. It has been an absolute delight to work on this project from conception through to the development of this fantastic facility.”

The Tewkesbury Growth Hub space includes three incubator units and the tenants benefit from access to a wide range of support services. There is also the opportunity for businesses to use the corporate meeting room suite for events, seminars or training. The rooms have all been upgraded, so they are business ready with updated IT equipment.

A full business navigator service is provided along with a range of workshops and training events, bringing these services out into the local Tewkesbury area.

Coopers Edge School are seeking enthusiastic and committed individuals to join the Schools Governing Body as Co-opted Governors.

A co-opted governor is often a professional with no ties to the school other than perhaps living within the local community; this allows the School Governing Body to benefit from the wealth of experience which people like you can provide.

Full details can be found here – Co-opted Governor Opportunity

Tell us what you think…

Members of the public are being asked their opinions on how best to deliver growth in Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury Borough.

The Joint Core Strategy was adopted in December 2017 and this sets out the identified need and location for employment and housing sites, and associated infrastructure, up to 2031.

The adoption came with a commitment to carry out an immediate review on the issues of housing supply for Gloucester and Tewkesbury and the retail policies for the whole area.

This review, called ‘Issues and Options’, will look again at the growth needs and options beyond 2031 and the strategy for delivering it.
The three councils have now approved the ‘Issues and Options’ consultation, the first stage of plan-making, which aims to generate engagement and ideas on these key issues.

It is important to recognise that the Issues and Options review does not propose a new strategy, new sites or policies. Rather, the consultation document asks members of the public, and any other stakeholders, 15 key questions to help develop a way to best deliver growth, including:

– What should the scope of the review be?
– What timeframe should the review plan for?
– Are the JCS vision, aims and objectives still relevant?
– How can the review best plan for city/town centres so they remain vital and viable in the future?
– Are there suitable sites for development?
– What infrastructure needs should be considered?

The consultation last for over eight weeks between Monday, 12 November 2018 and Friday, 11 January 2019.

Consultation events will be held in the following locations, where members of the public can come along, ask questions and have their say:
• Gloucester Eastgate Shopping Centre on 30 November 10am to 4pm.
• Cheltenham Muncipal Offices on 4 December 10am-4pm
• Tewkesbury Town Hall on 13 December 4-7pm

Alternatively, members of the public can view the consultation documents and have their say online here.

Senior Responsible Officer for the Joint Core Strategy and Tewkesbury Borough Council’s Chief Executive, Mike Dawson, said: “We encourage members of the public to take part in this initial consultation which will take place at the end of November through to the New Year. It’s important that as many people as possible tell us how they feel about the Issues and Options so that we can consider the feedback carefully in the further development of the JCS review.”