Cotswold District Council leaders are preparing to challenge the Government over newly imposed housing targets they describe as “moronic.” The recent update has more than doubled their annual housing requirement, putting severe pressure on this largely protected rural area as developers increasingly eye greenfield sites for speculative building.
The Government’s revised methodology demands the Cotswold District build over 1,000 new homes annually—up from 420—despite 80% of the district’s 790 square miles being designated as Cotswold National Landscape, the largest protected countryside area in England and Wales. This status safeguards the region’s natural beauty and characteristic identity, raising concerns that the housing surge could undermine the very environment that makes the Cotswolds unique.
Council leader Mike Evemy expressed deep concern that the district lacks the necessary infrastructure and services to support this rapid expansion. Speaking at a council meeting on July 16, Evemy announced plans to write directly to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner to highlight the district’s exceptional circumstances and question the proportionality of doubling its housing target.
READ MORE: Cotswolds Village of Painswick Named Gloucestershire Village of the Year 2025
READ MORE: Struggling with Food Taste Changes After Using Mounjaro: One Woman’s Journey
Currently, the council struggles with a housing land supply of just 1.8 years—far below the five-year minimum—and faces a sharp decline from the previously robust seven-year supply under older targets. This shortfall has already triggered an influx of speculative planning applications for developments on greenfield sites. Evemy warned that the local plan’s housing policies are increasingly difficult to enforce amid these rising pressures, risking piecemeal development in unsuitable locations without essential infrastructure.
Former council leader Joe Harris strongly condemned the Government’s approach, calling the targets “moronic” and accusing policymakers of placing the district in an “impossible position.” Harris praised local council officers for their resilient efforts to update the local plan despite significant challenges, including controversies like the Moreton case. He underscored the frustration that the Government’s recent planning reforms effectively undermine established local and neighbourhood plans, disregarding extensive community input.
Harris was incredulous when the housing targets were announced last December, noting that the vast majority of the district is an area of outstanding natural beauty. “They’ve doubled our target, so that means a thousand homes a year, mostly outside protected zones. It’s madness,” he stated. He suggested the targets may have been devised “on a spreadsheet by civil servants,” without proper consideration for local realities and cautioned that no responsible politician could reasonably endorse such measures.
As Cotswold District Council prepares to formally oppose the Government’s arbitrary target increases, local leaders emphasize the need for housing policies that balance growth with preservation, infrastructure readiness, and respect for cherished landscapes.