Local Plan –

A report from District Councillor Slater

Critically important! An Extraordinary Council meeting was held on 12th August to discuss the new Local Plan, and was probably the most important meeting since I have been a councillor.

Let me recap on why this 7300-page(!) document is so important, when we already had a perfectly good, adopted plan that meets the district’s needs.

The Labour Government has dictated the Cotswold District must build some 18000 houses by 2043. The nationally protected Cotswold Landscape (previously known as the AONB, or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) covers 80% of the district, meaning all the development must happen in two thin ribbons at the top and bottom of our area – locally this covers roughly Tetbury to Fairford, so approximately 9000 homes need to be squeezed in here.

In a big change to the original draft, the bulk of development is focussed on several ‘strategic sites’ including Cirencester and surrounding areas, with several thousand houses planned, plus Kemble where 1000 homes are planned. This could mean an additional 18000 vehicles commuting around Cirencester and along the A417; many thousands of additional nursery and school places required; much greater demand on already creaking health services; and a loss of natural habitat and agriculture.

In the Grumbold’s Ash ward there is now no building requirement, and while this is largely good news, the wider impact around the strategic sites will change the Cotswolds for ever!

The weighty document goes into some detail on the need for associated infrastructure and provision of commercial sites to provide jobs, but there is no guarantee of government or local funding, and developers will ALWAYS try to wriggle out of (and are often successful) funding local facilities. So there is no guarantee the required infrastructure will happen.

So, what is the alternative? Without an adopted plan government could impose building where it sees fit, and developers could attempt speculative applications in unsuitable areas; but they already do this. Would no plan and the risk of occasional development be worse than committing to building 18000 houses? There is an argument that the plan will provide built communities rather than a collection of developments. I think that just accepting the government’s numbers (which the whole council agree is ludicrous), is reckless and commits the council, which won’t exist in 18 months, to ruining our beautiful district. This is why I voted against the plan. However, the vote was narrowly won, with several Lib Dems abstaining or voting against.

The plan will now go to the government inspector to be validated. This is where you come in! There is a 6-week consultation period from 24th August where the public can voice their views and give arguments where they think the plan is lacking, and I would urge everyone to follow the links from the CDC website and have your say.

Councillor Tony Slater
Cotswold District Council, Representing Grumbolds Ash with Avening.
email: [email protected]