A CONTROVERSIAL Tetbury development, which made national headlines after being the subject of a judicial review, has been shown the green light by Cotswold District Council.

A unanimous vote was cast by members of CDC’s planning committee to grant outline planning permission for the project that would see up to 250 residential units built on the town’s Highfield Farm site.

The proposal will see the homes built on a site outside of Tetbury’s development boundary on land which is currently being used as farmland.

Cllr Barry Gibbs told the members that if a site had to be chosen, Highfield Farm was the most suitable.

He said: “This site is probably the best of the rest. It’s on solid land and it does have immediate access to the main road going out of Tetbury, the A433.”

Cllr Gibbs said, that in order for the build to go ahead, it was “vital” the development also includes a number of community facilities such as libraries and public open spaces for the new residents.

It was heard that CDC had received 24 letters of objections from Tetbury residents concerned about the project.

One read: “Foul water drainage, sewage drainage and highway drainage is at full capacity in Tetbury. This development would cause huge problems for the town and a new system should be fully operational before the development is undertaken.”

Tetbury Upton Parish Council also objected saying that the “development’s size would have too great an impact on the town without providing equal benefits”.

Cllr Stephen Hirst, former mayor of Tetbury, said: “This site has been subject to a number of applications, the process has been an arduous one.

“The Secretary of State disagreed with us and then approved the development. We just have to make the best of the situation and I think that is what the town wants.”

The application was originally refused when it was put before members two years ago but the decision was then overturned by the government.

CDC appealed the government’s decision and the case was taken to the High Court in Birmingham last month.

A judge quashed CDC’s appeal after hearing that the council was only capable of building 1,711 houses in the district over the next five years.