More than a dozen towns and villages across the Cotswold district have voiced strong opposition to the Government’s target to build nearly 19,000 homes in the area over the next twenty years. A collective letter, signed by 15 parish and town councils, has been sent to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), expressing concerns over the development blueprint.
Cotswold District Council is currently drafting a new local plan aimed at meeting the Government’s housing target. The plan proposes that approximately 90 per cent of new homes be constructed on ten strategic sites located outside the national landscape area.
However, the councils argue that the plan is undeliverable due to several factors, including inaccurately defined district boundaries, flawed affordability calculations, and significant constraints related to infrastructure. They believe the housing requirement calculation is fundamentally flawed and could severely damage the local environment while failing to effectively address the housing affordability crisis faced by local residents.
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“We are particularly concerned about the attempt to re-allocate the housing requirement attributable to the roughly 50 per cent of the population living within the 80 per cent of the Cotswold National Landscape area,” the letter states. The signatories also highlight challenges posed by flood risks, limited water and sewage capacity, and inadequate road infrastructure restricting new housing developments.
The letter further outlines suggestions for more sustainable approaches to tackling housing affordability in the district. The group is urging the Government to consider their concerns seriously and delay the adoption of the new local plan until the awaited local government reorganisation is implemented.
Councillor Eileen Viviani, chair of the planning and infrastructure committee at Moreton Town Council, described the collective letter as an “unusual step” but emphasised that the councils are united in seeking solutions that address their communities’ economic and housing needs effectively.
Gloucestershire County Council is due to merge with the six district authorities to form a new Gloucestershire Council in 2028. Meanwhile, the town and parish councils urge the MHCLG minister to acknowledge that the standard housing formula currently in use is inappropriate for the Cotswold district.
MHCLG has been contacted for comment.
The proposed local plan will be reviewed by district councillors in a series of meetings this month. Subject to approval, a six-week public consultation is scheduled from 24 August to 5 October. Following this, the council will consider feedback received and may propose additional amendments for inspection.
The joint letter is signed by the town councils of Chipping Campden, Fairford, Lechlade, Moreton-in-Marsh, and Stow-on-the-Wold, alongside the parish councils of Ampney Crucis, Bourton-on-the-Water, Down Ampney, Driffield and Harnhill, Kemble and Ewen, Kempsford, Mickleton, Preston, Quenington, and Siddington.