More than a dozen Cotswold towns and villages have formally opposed the Government's "flawed" target to build almost 19,000 homes in the district over the next two decades. A joint letter signed by 15 parish and town councils has been sent to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), expressing serious concerns about the proposed housing numbers.
Councils unite against housing target
The signatories, which include the town councils of Chipping Campden, Fairford, Moreton-in-Marsh, Lechlade and Stow-on-the-Wold, argue that the housing target is undeliverable due to incorrectly defined boundaries, flawed affordability metrics, and severe infrastructure constraints. They believe the method used to calculate the housing requirement is "flawed" and will be "extremely damaging" to the local environment while "doing virtually nothing to alleviate the real problem of housing affordability for local people."
Cotswold District Council is currently developing its new local plan to meet the housing target. The draft plan suggests that 90 per cent of the new housing should be built in ten strategic sites outside the national landscape. However, the councils argue that this approach fails to address the real issues facing the area.
Concerns over National Landscape and infrastructure
In the letter, the councils highlight particular concerns 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. They also point out that new housing development is constrained by flood risk, water and sewage infrastructure capacity, and inadequate roads.
The councils are calling on the Government to take their concerns on board and delay the creation of a new local plan until local government reorganisation takes place in the county. Gloucestershire County Council is set to merge with the six district authorities to create a new Gloucestershire Council in 2028.
Councils seek sustainable solutions
Councillor Eileen Viviani, who chairs the planning and infrastructure committee at Moreton Town Council, described the joint action as an "unusual step" for parish and town councils. She explained that they are "united in seeking ways to make their communities' economic and housing needs heard, understood and met."
The letter also suggests what needs to be done to enable the actual housing affordability issue to be addressed in a sustainable way. The councils want the minister to agree that the application of the 'standard formula' for housing requirements is inappropriate for Cotswold District in the meantime.
Next steps for the local plan
The proposed local plan will be considered by district councillors over a series of meetings this month. Subject to approval, another six-week public consultation will run from August 24 to October 5. The council will then consider the representations received and may recommend additional modifications for the inspector to consider.
MHCLG has been approached for comment. The joint letter has been signed by the town councils of Chipping Campden, Fairford, Moreton-in-Marsh, Lechlade and Stow-on-the-Wold, and the parish councils of Ampney Crucis, Bourton-on-the-Water, Down Ampney, Driffield and Harnhil, Kemble and Ewen, Kempsford, Mickleton, Preston, Quenington, and Siddington.
