Council leader presses minister to reduce Cotswold housing target
The Leader of Cotswold District Council has taken the Council’s case for a lower housing target directly to Government, telling a housing minister that the number of homes being asked of the Cotswold District is too high.
Cllr Mike Evemy joined South Cotswolds MP Dr Roz Savage for a meeting with Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, Minister for Housing and Local Government, on Monday 19 October.
The meeting followed three letters from Cllr Evemy to Government raising concerns about the housing target and its impact on communities across the district. The Council has consistently argued that the target does not adequately reflect the exceptional landscape, infrastructure and geographical constraints facing the Cotswolds.
Cllr Evemy said: “It was good to finally meet with a Government minister after I had previously requested a meeting three times. However, while the Minister listened carefully, she wasn’t prepared to consider lowering a housing target which is forcing us to plan for many more homes than the district can reasonably accommodate.
“We need new homes, particularly genuinely affordable homes, and we remain committed to our Local Plan as the best way to manage growth, secure infrastructure and protect communities from speculative development.
“But asking us to accommodate nearly 19,000 homes in a district where around 80% of land is protected National Landscape is simply too much.
“We will continue to make the strongest possible case for a lower, more realistic housing target that reflects the realities of the Cotswolds.”
Under the Government’s revised standard method, the Council is required to plan for 18,650 new homes by 2043, equivalent to just over 1,000 homes per year and more than double its previous requirement. Around 80 per cent of the district lies within the Cotswolds National Landscape.
The Council has challenged the impact of the new housing requirement since it was introduced. Cllr Evemy wrote to the then Secretary of State Angela Rayner in July 2025, before writing to her successor Steve Reed MP in October. A third letter to housing minister Matthew Pennycook in February 2026 shared the scale of concern expressed by residents during consultation on the Local Plan and again asked for a meeting with ministers.
The Council remains committed to delivering a sound Local Plan and believes a plan-led approach gives it the best opportunity to decide where development happens and secure the infrastructure needed alongside new homes. It has warned that the significant reduction in its five-year housing land supply following the change in national targets has left the district increasingly exposed to speculative development.
At the meeting, the Minister said evidence about the district’s constraints could be considered by the independent Planning Inspector when the Local Plan is examined. She also agreed that housing growth must not get ahead of water infrastructure.
The Council has reiterated its call for residents to take part in the Regulation 19 consultation and ensure their views form part of the evidence considered when the Local Plan goes before the independent Planning Inspector.
The consultation has been extended until 3 November 2026. Residents can comment on whether the Plan is sound and legally compliant and can also ask to be heard at the examination.
Cllr Evemy added: “The Minister has made clear that the evidence put before the Planning Inspector matters, so I would strongly encourage people across the district to take part.
“If there are issues the Inspector needs to understand about your community, its infrastructure or the way the Plan responds to the Government’s housing requirement, this is your opportunity to make sure those views are heard.”
Have your say on the Cotswold District Local Plan before 3 November 2026: Local Plan 2026-2043 - Cotswold District Council.