From Roman to renewal - honouring our past, celebrating our present and inspiring our future

Residents from Cirencester and the surrounding Cotswold district are invited to comment on an early vision for the town, as Cotswold District Council consults on its Cirencester Town Centre Framework Masterplan.  

Councillor Juliet Layton, Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulatory services said, “This vision for Cirencester is a starting point to inform the development of the town centre in the future. The plan will include how we foresee transport and movement around the town and the design of new buildings and will build on the existing successful retail and cultural uses in the town.  

“A change of uses in the town centre will mean a wider range of services including business and employment, education, leisure, entertainment, culture, community and health. 

“Cirencester has a rich heritage, which draws tourists from all over the world. The masterplan will seek to protect and enhance the town’s history, creating a more accessible network of cultural and heritage sites across the town. 

“This is an exciting opportunity for residents to get involved in this vision and I urge residents to be a part of the process to make Cirencester an even better place to live, work and visit.” 

The draft Framework Masterplan is in its early stages. One of the first steps is testing and developing these ideas with the public and gathering opinions and suggestions. The masterplan will be a Supplementary Planning Document that builds upon and provides more detailed advice and guidance on policies in the Cotswold District Local Plan, which is being consulted upon concurrently with the masterplan and the Cirencester Neighbourhood Plan. Collectively, they will guide and help coordinate future development and infrastructure in Cirencester town centre. 

The deliverables within the masterplan include:  

• Long-term sustainability and healthy place-shaping of the town centre and wider Cirencester, facilitating a shift from car use to more sustainable modes of transport through high-quality streets, safe routes and public spaces which encourage people to walk, cycle, explore and stay. 
• Encouraging and supporting a diverse mix of uses and services to strengthen Cirencester’s economy, helping it to be more responsive and resilient in the face of rapid change. 
• Encouraging a mix of uses in the town centre. 
• Creating a forward-looking town centre which people aspire to live in, work in, study and experience while providing exciting opportunities to grow skills and businesses. 
• Creating better connections with the town centre and the wider ecological network, providing multi-functional green spaces in the historic core of the town to cool and provide shade. 
• Creating a greater connection between people and Cirencester’s past, seeking to reintroduce and strengthen historic gateways into the town. 

Residents will have the opportunity to see emerging ideas and speak to town planners at two public events covering the Cirencester Town Centre Framework Masterplan and Local Plan consultations. The event details as follows: 

Wednesday, 21 February from 10am until 8pm at the Corinium Museum, Park Street, Cirencester, GL7 2BX 

Wednesday 6 March from 10am until 8pm at the Redesdale Hall, High Street, Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 0AX     

Views on the plans can be given on the council’s digital engagement site your.cotswold.gov.uk from: 

• 1 February to 17 March 2024 (Masterplan); and 
• 1 February to 24 March (Local Plan).