Plans to build 60 new homes on over 8 acres of farmland east of Willersey Business Park have been postponed by the Cotswold District Council planning committee due to serious worries over infrastructure and highway safety.
Residents in the Cotswold village have long dealt with inadequate sewage systems, frequently experiencing up to a foot of sewage flooding their streets and gardens. At the June 10 meeting, Alastair McGrigor, a local objector, highlighted that Severn Trent Water acknowledges the current system cannot handle the existing demand, let alone additional housing.
“The reality is that without proper upgrades, significant parts of the village will continue to suffer from sewage overflowing manholes and contaminating homes,” McGrigor warned. He urged the council to impose Grampian conditions, requiring necessary infrastructure improvements to be completed before any new homes are occupied — a solution successfully implemented at Folly View.
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Ward councillor Tom Stowe stressed the village’s drainage system is “totally broken” with no clear plan for resolution, warning that adding more homes would only exacerbate sewage problems, leaving residents unable to use their facilities for days and facing human waste in their gardens.
The committee also heard pressing concerns over highway safety, especially the dangers posed by the development’s access onto the busy B4632 road. Local officials and councillors described speeding issues and near-miss accidents involving large trucks on the bend near the proposed site. Councillors called for either deferral or additional safety conditions to address these issues.
Kevin O’Donoghue, clerk of Willersey Parish Council, highlighted how current and proposed developments would increase the village’s population by 25%, emphasizing the need for more evidence on noise pollution from the nearby industrial park, the land’s open space status, and contributions from developers to support infrastructure.
Despite officers advising the highways are technically safe, councillors including Cllr Julia Judd and Cllr Ray Brassington pushed for deferral, requesting on-site assessments by highways officials. The unanimous vote to delay the decision reflects widespread caution towards allowing development to proceed without resolving these serious concerns.
Notably, councillors remarked that the Diocese of Gloucester, landowner of the site, is not in a hurry to push forward, suggesting that a brief delay is unlikely to face opposition.
The deferment underscores the critical need to address sewage, safety, and community impact before any expansion in Willersey can proceed.