Tewkesbury Town Council
Tewkesbury Town Council is a Local Council covering the Parish of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. It is a Successor Parish to the Tewkesbury Municipal Borough Council that existed prior to the reorganisation of English Local Government in April 1974. The Town Council in its original form was constituted by the Local Government Order 1973, where Tewkesbury Town is listed in Schedule Part 1.
History
Creation of Tewkesbury Town Council
Tewkesbury Town Council, in its current form as Tewkesbury Parish Council, met informally for the first time on 19 November 1973. It met formally for the first time on 17 December 1973, during this meeting which Councillor C. Burd was appointed as Chairman until 1 April 1974. During 19 November 1973 meeting it was resolved that the Council should have the status of a Town Council from 1 April 1974. This status does not result in additional powers or funding but in accordance Section 245 of the Local Government Act 1972 has the effect of styling the Chairman/Vice-Chairman of the Council as Town Mayor and Deputy Town Mayor respectively.During the meeting of 17 December 1973 it was agreed that there was no objection to the use by the new Tewkesbury Borough Council of the Borough Coat of Arms. It was also agreed that the insignia for Tewkesbury which predated the coat of arms would be the new Town Council's coat of arms which are still used by the Council.
History between 1974 and 1980
Tewkesbury Town Council began its formal role as the Parish Council for Tewkesbury in April 1974. The first chairman of Tewkesbury Parish Council was Councillor C. Burd who was also the first Town Mayor of the post 1974 Town Council. All of the six Town Mayors who served between 1974 and 1980 are outlined along with the year of service in Table 1.There were a number of Miscellaneous Provisions which needed to be resolved following the formation of the new Tewkesbury Borough and the new Town Council which were intended to be resolved by a statutory instrument made in April 1977. In April 1977 the Town Council received a number of properties from Tewkesbury Borough Council through the provisions of The Local Authorities etc. Order 1977. These properties included the Town Hall, Severn Ham SSSI, fishing rights, land at the Mythe Railway Nature Reserve and the lordship of the manor of Tewkesbury. Some of these properties have since been disposed of by the Town Council.
History between 1980 and 1990
The Town Mayors during this time are outlined along with the year of service in Table 2.The land at the Mythe Railway Nature Reserve which had been received from Tewkesbury Borough Council in April 1977 through the provisions of The Local Authorities etc. Order 1977 became the property of the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust in 1985.
History between 1990 and 2000
The Town Mayors during this time are outlined along with the year of service in Table 3.During the 1990s the relationship between the town of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire and Tewksbury, Massachusetts was strengthened and the possibility of a formal twinning was investigated. A formal twinning arrangement between the two towns was not progressed during the 1990s although a link was maintained during this time. The relationship between these two towns resulted in the placing of the Miko Kaufman sculpture called Touching Souls at Tewkesbury Abbey.
History between 2000 and 2010
The Town Mayors during this time are outlined along with the year of service in the Table 4.Since January 2003 there has been a special relationship between Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire and Tewksbury Township, New Jersey.
History since 2010
The Town Mayors during this time are outlined along with the year of service in Table 5. Tewkesbury Town Council has experienced a number of challenges between 2010 and the present day. Tewkesbury Town Council has also taken on additional responsibilities since 2010 including assuming ownership of two new toilet blocks in Gloucester Road and Oldbury Road in 2013.Extent of Tewkesbury Town
Since the creation of Tewkesbury Town Council, the boundaries of the Parish have slightly changed most notably to cover part of the Newtown area which was formerly part of Ashchurch Parish. The M5 motorway forms part of the eastern boundary of the Town and the western side of junction 9 is within the parish. Within Tewkesbury Town are the Town Centre and the areas of Newtown, Priors Park, Mitton, Tewkesbury Park, Upper Lode, Stonehills and the Mythe. The Wheatpeices estate, Northway, and Ashchurch are not part of the Tewkesbury Town Council area but are covered by their own Parish Councils.Tewkesbury Town Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer
Tewkesbury Town Council as a Parish Council is required to appoint a Proper Officer and Responsible Finance Officer. As is the case with many Parish and Town Council's the Proper Officer is titled as the Town Clerk. There have as of May 2018 been eight Permanent Clerks of Tewkesbury Town Council including the Acting Clerk Mr F. Broxton.| Years | Clerk |
| November 1973 - April 1974 | F. Broxton Esq, C.Eng |
| April 1974 - March 1981 | L. Athay |
| March 1981 - March 1993 | W. Blakemoore |
| March 1993 - 2008 | M.G. Wilson |
| 2008 - 2014 | P.F. Clarke |
| 2014 - March 2016 | A. Beirne |
| March 2016 - December 2017 | H. Railton-Price |
| February 2018 – Present | D. Hill PSLCC |
Tewkesbury Town Hall
The Town Council is based at Tewkesbury Town Hall located at 18, High Street, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. Tewkesbury Town Hall contains the Corn Exchange, Courtroom, the cellar, the Town Hall Office, The Mayors Parlour and the Council Chamber which is a former ballroom. In the cellar of Tewkesbury Town Hall are three cells which date back the use of the building as a Courthouse. Due to the location of the Town Hall the rear of the building overlooks the Anglo-American Garden of Remembrance, the Mill Avon and the Severn Ham Site of Special Scientific Interest.Tewkesbury Town Hall was listed as a Grade II* building on 4 March 1952 and is located within the Conservation Area covering the town centre. Since April 1977 the Town Hall, Town Hall Garden and its contents has been in the ownership of the Town Council.
Deaths in Office of Tewkesbury Town Councillors
Despite Tewkesbury Town Council having been in operation since 1974 only five Councillors have died whilst holding public office. The names of Tewkesbury Town Councillors who have died in office are listed in Table 7.| Years | Councillor |
| 1978 | D.R. Graham |
| 1988 | L.F. Gurney |
| 1990 | J.G. Crawford |
| 1993 | J.W. Castle |
| 1993 | G. Campbell-Browning |
Population of the Parish of Tewkesbury Town
At the time of the 2011 Census, the population of the Parish was 10,704 residents. This places Tewkesbury Town as the 492nd largest Parish or Community Council in the United Kingdom. The population of Tewkesbury Town is between that of Amesbury and Birchwood Parishes.Membership of Tewkesbury Town Council
The Town Council is currently made up of sixteen councillors who serve a population of 10,704 according to the figures released from the 2011 census. The Town Councillors currently represent four wards of Mythe, Priors Park, Tewkesbury Town with Mitton and Newtown. The number of wards is due to reduce to three wards of Tewkesbury North, Tewkesbury South and Newtown at the time of the next ordinary election in May 2019.Elections to Tewkesbury Town Council last took place in May 2015 and a number of councillors have been either elected in a bye-election or co-opted since the last ordinary election. Table 8 lists the current Town Councillors grouped by the Ward they represent. The newest councillors are Cllr. Mark Linton and Cllr Sophie Franklin who were co-opted in March 2018.
The next elections to Tewkesbury Town Council are due to take place in May 2019. These elections will occur at the same time as the ordinary elections for Tewkesbury Borough Council.