Death knell for life in the countryside? (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Death knell for life in the countryside?

COTSWOLD villages could be killed off if a new regional planning policy gets the green light next month.

That is the fear of county councillors, who believe plans to cut off rural areas from new housing developments could sound the death knell for the countryside.

Schools, rural businesses and healthcare provision are all likely to lose out if the South West Regional Assembly (SWRA) get its way, they claim.

Gloucestershire County Council met this week to discuss the SWRA's housing plans for the South West over the next 20 years.

Cabinet members believe the overall level of growth proposed is too high.

Also, councillors say the concentration of housing in Gloucester and Cheltenham will have a damaging effect on growth in rural areas, while towns like Tetbury and Cirencester are all but ignored in terms of economic and population growth.

Cllr Shaun Parsons, portfolio holder for planning, said: "We aren't saying for a second that we want uncontrolled building in the countryside.

"We are simply concerned the concentration of housing in the urban areas will be to the detriment of rural areas where we want to maintain a way of life."

Cllr Parsons also says the SWRA's notion of sustainable development, which means reducing the distance people need to travel to work, is flawed and ambiguous.

He said: "We have an increasing amount of small businesses in the Cotswolds and the SWRA is not paying sufficient attention to this."

Cllr Roger Brown (Lib Dem, Ciren) is also particularly concerned Cirencester is not considered to be a 'Strategically Significant Town'.

He said: "We want good jobs and thriving shops in Cirencester and this document does not deliver it.

"Cirencester has been omitted from the list - we can argue the toss about green belt development later, but this doesn't help Cotswold District Council with its forward planning.

"Everybody is wary of huge house building - but at the same time there is a need for affordable housing, particularly in Cirencester and the Cotswolds."

County councillors have also voiced concerns that the SWRA does not fully understand the implications of its planning policy, particularly with respect to transport.

Spokesman Nicola Davies said: "There are substantial infrastructure requirements that will be needed to support such this strategy.

"Members noted that there is no apparent funding allocation for any of these schemes and the council regrets the imposition of more housing without the vital associated infrastructure investment."

The Campaign to Protect Rural England, on the other hand, believes the policy of the SWRA will not wholly dictate future development in rural areas.

Spokesman Ray Woolmore said: "It's not meant to be a tight restriction on rural building needs in the countryside.

"The regional planners say that new development should be concentrated on brown field sites within Cheltenham and Gloucester - but that does not rule out normal development in Cirencester, Stow or wherever else the need arises."

The SWRA Regional Spatial Planning and Transport Group will meet on Wednesday to further consider the Draft Regional Spatial Strategy.

Final recommendations will be made to the Full Assembly on March 10, while later in the year there is expected to be a three-month consultation on the proposals.