Councils collaborate to enhance the Cotswolds

At a meeting on 24th January at Cotswold District Council, councillors and officers discussed the recommendations of the recent Glover Review into our National Landscapes. Particular attention was paid to how best to deliver the review’s positive suggestions around nature recovery, access to the countryside and the threat of the climate emergency on the landscape.

Cllr Joe Harris, Leader of Cotswold District Council, said: “I’m pleased we could bring local councils together to discuss the findings of the Glover Review. By developing strong partnerships and working together we can take full advantage of future opportunities to increase biodiversity, tackle climate change issues and secure a positive future for the Cotswolds AONB.”

Representatives of the 15 affected local authorities also discussed the suggestion that the Cotswolds AONB could become a National Park.

Cotswold District Council outlined its position on this matter at a Full Council meeting in November 2019, highlighting that other means might be possible to deliver the Review’s objectives more quickly, cheaply and easily.

Cllr Harris explained that: “Both Cotswold District Council and Gloucestershire County Council have passed unanimous cross-party motions outlining our opposition to the Cotswolds AONB becoming a National Park. Some of the excellent suggestions put forward in the Glover Review shouldn’t be predicated on our area becoming a National Park; this could hike house prices further worsening the housing affordability crisis in our area.”