Concerns are mounting as plans to build nearly 19,000 new homes across the Cotswolds over the next 20 years prompt fears that small communities, including the village of Driffield near Cirencester, could be irreparably damaged.
The Cotswold District Council is currently drafting a new local plan, as directed by the UK Government, which aims to outline housing, employment, and leisure developments up to 2043. This blueprint includes proposals for ten strategic sites expected to accommodate approximately 90% of the new homes.
One such site is in Driffield, where plans suggest up to 1,090 new houses could be built. For a village currently comprising around 40 homes, such expansion has left residents deeply concerned about the impact on their tight-knit community.
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At a council cabinet meeting held on 6 August, Liberal Democrat leader Mike Evemy acknowledged the “anxiety and concern” the draft plan has caused. Representing Siddington and Cerney Rural, Cllr Evemy explained that the council is under pressure to meet stringent housing targets imposed by the Government.
He noted that following the election of a new government two years ago, there has been a commitment to build 1.5 million homes nationally within five years-an average of 300,000 homes annually. This ambitious target has, in turn, more than doubled the expected housing delivery in the Cotswold district from fewer than 500 homes per year to over 1,000 annually.
“This has rendered many of our existing policies outdated and created a tilted balance favouring development,” Cllr Evemy said. He clarified that, aside from developments on already designated sites, much of the new housing may be speculative.
Despite multiple appeals to government ministers, Cllr Evemy said the housing targets remain unchanged.
Residents like Neil White from Driffield Parish Council expressed strong opposition during the meeting. “People who have lived here for years love this village,” Mr White said. “This proposal is going to ruin everything about the community in every single sense. It’s just crazy.”
Cllr Evemy empathised with these feelings, recognising that communities across the district are similarly apprehensive. “The emotions you’ve expressed, we understand them deeply,” he said.
When pressed on whether these concerns would be taken into account, he responded, “Members must consider everything and come to a considered view. That’s our job as councillors. We were elected to do a job and sometimes you get decisions like this that are difficult.”