Residents of Gloucestershire’s Bishop’s Cleeve are expressing deep frustration over an eight-year delay by Persimmon Homes in delivering a promised community centre. Despite hundreds of homes being completed at the Cleevelands estate, the vital facility designed to bring people together has yet to materialize.
Local councillors, including Richard Stanley from Tewkesbury Borough Council and Murray Stewart of the Cleeve West ward, have jointly written to Persimmon’s group chief executive, Dean Finch, urging the company to provide a clear timetable for submitting the planning application.
In their open letter, the councillors stressed that the community centre is a “fundamental element” for fostering social cohesion as the neighbourhood grows. They noted that trigger points for the centre’s delivery were reached seven to eight years ago, yet the promised space remains absent.
“The ongoing delay not only impacts essential infrastructure but represents years of lost opportunities for local groups, families, and community development,” the letter states. “It is increasingly difficult to explain to residents why, after many years, no planning application has been submitted.”
Councillor Stanley told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the community has made every effort to engage Persimmon and secure the building, but residents now feel abandoned after a prolonged wait. “This is a close-knit community that would have greatly benefited from a shared space for events and activities. Instead, they have spent years campaigning for infrastructure that should have accompanied the housing development,” he said.
Persimmon Homes has acknowledged the delays and apologized. A spokesperson confirmed that they are currently revising the layout, including drainage details, and plan to submit the planning application to Tewkesbury Borough Council in June. They pledged to work with the council to ensure the timely construction of the community centre.