Monday, 13 October, will see the Regulation 18 Cotswold District Local Plan presented to members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at Cotswold District Council. This marks another critical step for the Council in preparing a new Local Plan for the District.
For seasoned observers of all things CDC, the District is facing significant challenges, including an acute affordable housing crisis and a doubling of its annual housing requirement from 504 DPA to 1,036 DPA. Letters to the Government from the Council asking for this requirement to be reduced have been given short thrift.
So, what does the new Local Plan mean for those with land and development interests in the District?
What is the housing target for Cotswold District?
The starting point is setting the housing target. The Plan sets the housing target at 18,650 homes and presents a series of scenarios outlining development strategies for how this could be met. Of the seven scenarios, only one proposes meeting and exceeding the target. All the others (including the Preferred Scenario set out in the Plan) do not meet the target.
The Council’s Preferred Scenario is number 5, which proposes 14,660 or 79% of the standard method target.
What will this look like in practice?
The Plan sets out a series of Maps which help visualise where growth will take place, supported by a table which provides indicative figures. For those who know the District well, the obvious conclusion is that development is being directed away from towns and villages situated in the Cotswold National Landscape (or AONB in old money).
Interestingly, this manifests itself in the south with a new settlement at Driffield and strategic allocations at the settlements of Ampney Crucis, Cirencester, Fairford, Kemble, Preston and Siddington.
In the northern part of the District, Moreton-in-Marsh is identified as a location for significant extensions along with Mickleton and some additional development at Chipping Campden.
In the middle (e.g., Stow on the Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water), development is proposed, but on a smaller scale than that found north and south of these locations outside the National Landscape. Critically, not at a strategic level (as the Plan sees it).
What is the future of development in the Cotswold District?
The Plan will go on consultation before the end of the year, and this document provides a clear statement on the District’s future. That future does not see significant growth in National Landscape locations. What is interesting is that, given the housing target and a self-declared affordable housing crisis, the Plan does not propose sites which could be seen as ‘major development’ in NPPF terms. That future does not see significant growth in National Landscape locations. Whether this is a sound future for the District will ultimately be the responsibility of a Local Plan Inspector to decide.
Critically, the consultation will be aligned with a Call for Sites exercise (of any size), providing an opportunity for both landowners and developers to submit sites for the Council’s consideration.
This is a District we understand; it is our home patch. Please make use of our knowledge to support your development goals in this area.
How we can help
If you have a site which you think might have development potential in the Cotswold District, then feel free to come and talk to us about what you are looking to bring forward and to find out more about how we can best assist.
At McLoughlin Planning, our simple objective is to get results for our clients by providing high-quality planning consultancy. Our team of chartered town planning consultants delivers strategic advice and planning solutions across southern England and Wales – from strategic land promotions and commercial premises to private developments and rural projects.
Since joining forces with Plainview Planning in 2024, our Group combines expertise across 13 planning professionals and support staff. This collaboration allows us to provide ingenious, commercially-minded solutions to a wide range of town planning challenges.
- For larger, strategic or complex projects (such as land promotions, multi-phase developments, aviation schemes), please contact our McLoughlin Planning team.
- For householder projects, developments of 10 units or fewer, or smaller independent commercial projects, our specialist Plainview Planning team can help.
Contact us
If you have a development project which would benefit from expert planning consultancy input, then feel free to view our full ‘About Us’ page to view which of our planning consultants best fit your needs and contact us through either our ‘Arrange a Call‘ tab on our contact page or via the email and telephone number provided below.
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As always, the content of this article was correct at the time of publication, but for the most up-to-date information on planning topics and policy queries, contact our team.
Nathan McLoughlin – Managing Director
T: 01242895008
E: nathan.mcloughlin@mplanning.co.uk
Image source: Cotswold District Council
