Bathurst Development Limited (BDL), the primary developer behind The Steadings, a 2,350-home development on the southern edge of Cirencester, has submitted a request to Cotswold District Council to revise the timing for building the on-site primary school. The company proposes altering the trigger point for the school’s construction from 500 homes to 1,000 homes, citing a sustained drop in birth rates and excess capacity in local schools.
The Steadings’ new primary school remains a crucial part of the development plan, but BDL argues that the current demographic realities no longer justify building the school at the earlier occupancy milestone. Their application, submitted on November 3, highlights that birth rates have been at a record low for the past three consecutive years, leading to a surplus of over 400 unoccupied school places in the nearby area.
BDL points out that the newly constructed school building at Siddington, which was funded and delivered by the developer and opened in April 2025, was originally intended to temporarily house The Steadings’ primary school pupils. However, with the low demand for places, the Siddington school is currently serving local Siddington children exclusively, and The Steadings’ school remains unused.
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With around 440 reception and primary school places available locally for the 2025/26 academic year—a number exceeding the size of a typical two-form entry primary school—BDL argues that existing schools currently have sufficient capacity to accommodate children moving into The Steadings, at least in the short to medium term.
The proposal has sparked strong opposition from local residents, with dozens submitting formal objections. Nevertheless, BDL emphasizes that their request for a ‘deed of variation’ aligns with updated demographic data and that the permanent primary school will be constructed as soon as the demand justifies it.
The original planning application for The Steadings was granted approval in 2019, but demographic projections made at that time have since changed significantly, prompting the request to adjust infrastructure trigger points accordingly.