Tewkesbury Borough Council is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, 30 September 2025, to discuss a number of topics including a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy, grass cutting options, and governance of the Tewkesbury Garden Communities Programme. Additionally, Councillors will consider motions regarding sewage discharges into the River Avon and the state of roads in Tewkesbury Borough.

Sewage Discharges into the River Avon

Councillor Matt Dimond-Brown is expected to propose a motion, seconded by Councillor Hilarie Bowman, concerning untreated sewage discharges into the River Avon. The motion highlights that discharges from Lower Lode Sewage Treatment Works, Lower Lode Sewage Pumping Station, and Twyning Sewage Treatment Works are among the highest and most persistent along the River Avon.

The motion notes that between 2020 and 2024, these three sites discharged untreated sewage into the Avon for thousands of hours, with Twyning STW spilling for 1,883 hours in 2024 alone. It also raises concerns that monitoring failures may mask the true scale of discharges, and that Severn Trent Water does not plan significant upgrades to these sites until 2030–2035, despite confirmed housing growth within the relevant catchments.

The Council is expected to consider formally writing to Severn Trent Water, calling for:

• Urgent and accelerated investment at Lower Lode STW, Lower Lode SPS, and Twyning STW, bringing forward upgrades well before 2030.
• Immediate measures to guarantee full-year monitoring at all discharge points in the Borough.
• A clear plan for managing additional housing growth in the Tewkesbury and Twyning catchments without worsening sewage discharges.

The Council will also consider writing to the Environment Agency and Ofwat, urging them to use their regulatory powers to hold Severn Trent to account. The motion also suggests that the Council acknowledge the work of local community initiatives, including the SafeAvon Project, in holding water companies accountable.

State of Roads in Tewkesbury Borough

Councillor Graham Bocking is scheduled to propose a motion, seconded by Councillor Jason Mills, regarding the state of roads in Tewkesbury Borough. The motion notes concerns raised by residents about the poor state of roads and the significant number of potholes.

The motion highlights data indicating that Gloucestershire's roads are in an appalling state, with around 1,000 miles not in a good state and over 100 miles in the bottom poor 'red' category, many of which are in Tewkesbury Borough. It also points out the hazards potholes pose to road users, and their contribution to increased vehicular emissions and air pollution.

The Council is expected to consider the following resolutions:

1. That many of the roads in Tewkesbury Borough need urgent repair.
2. For the Leader of the Council to formally write to the County Council Member for highways requesting him to form a cross-party working group, with officer support, and invite each of the District Councils to provide a non-voting representative to the working group to agree an action plan to resolve the pothole road issue across the county.
3. For the Leader of the Council to write to the Secretary of State for Transport to provide an additional one-off lump sum to Gloucestershire County Council to clear the backlog of road repairs.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

The Council is scheduled to consider recommendations from the Executive Committee regarding an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy. At its meeting on 29 July 2025, the Executive Committee recommended to Council that the Artificial Intelligence Policy Report be approved.

Grass Cutting

The Council will consider options presented in the Grass Cutting report and approve a preferred option.

Tewkesbury Garden Communities Governance

The Council is scheduled to approve proposed appointments to the Tewkesbury Garden Communities Programme Oversight Board, as detailed in the Tewkesbury Garden Communities Governance Report.

Other Items

The agenda also includes:

• Announcements from the Chair of the Meeting and/or the Chief Executive.
• Apologies for absence.
• Declarations of interest.
• Approval of the minutes of the meeting held on 29 July 2025.
• Items from members of the public.
• Member questions properly submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rules.
• Approval of the separate Minutes of the meeting of the meeting held on 29 July 2025.