Cotswold District Council rejects proposed housing development
Cotswold District Council has refused an outline planning application for 30 homes in Chipping Campden, citing significant harm to the Cotswolds National Landscape and the absence of required legal agreements.
At a meeting yesterday (10 September), the Council’s Planning and Licencing committee unanimously agreed that the proposed development, located north of Olimpick Drive, was found to conflict with both national and local planning policies. These concerns outweighed any potential benefits of new housing.
An application for 120 homes at a site on land north east of Mickleton was also recommended for refusal, with concerns cited about its scale, location, and impact on the surrounding environment and community - but was withdrawn the day before the planning committee meeting.
The Mickleton site’s encroachment into open countryside, its impact on the nearby Cotswolds National Landscape and Heart of England Way, and the limited local infrastructure were among the key factors leading to the recommendation to refuse.
In the meantime, a scheme in Fairford for 98 houses was approved by the committee. Reasons given for the approval, on land west of Hatherop Road, included that it aligns with the Fairford Neighbourhood Plan, contributes to local housing and affordable housing supply, and has been shown to be deliverable in a way that respects the site's surroundings without causing unacceptable harm.
Councillor Juliet Layton, Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, said the Chipping Campden site’s refusal underlined that, despite significantly increased housing targets imposed on the district by the Government, the Council would not simply wave through developer’s planning applications if they are not the right homes in the right places.
Last November, the Government more than doubled the housing target for the Cotswold District as part of its national commitment to deliver 1.5 million new homes over the next five years. The district’s housing target now stands at more than 1,000 homes a year.
Cllr Layton said the decisions underscored the Council’s ongoing commitment to responsible planning and sustainable development, ensuring that future growth enhances rather than harms local communities.
"As a Council we are supportive of housing, especially affordable homes, and recognise this need, but we are committed to protecting the character of our villages and the integrity of our landscapes,” she said.
“The Government may have doubled the number of houses we are required to build in the district, but this doesn’t mean we’ll simply rubber-stamp every decision without proper scrutiny and let every development through.”