CHANGES to plans for 2,350 homes in Cirencester have been criticised as “trivial” by the group campaigning against the controversial housing development.

Bathurst Development Limited (BDL) has made a number of alterations to its designs for the Chesterton development following a public consultation.

Changes include the reduction of building heights and an increase in play areas, but campaign group Save Our Cirencester (SOC) says the amendments do little to address the public concern regarding the “monster development”.

In January Lord Bathurst’s BDL submitted the outline planning application to Cotswold District Council (CDC) for the development on land south of Chesterton.

News of the application, which is part of the emerging Cotswold Local Plan housing strategy, has led to criticism from residents towards the district council and BDL as well as Lord Bathurst, who has referred to the development as his “legacy” to Cirencester.

The “first package of refinements and modifications” to the application has been submitted this week and there will be further public consultation by CDC over the coming weeks.

In summary, the modifications to the development plans include:

  • Reducing the maximum building heights for the two highest residential areas across the site by 1.5 metres
  • Reducing the maximum building heights for employment buildings in the northeast of the site by 2m
  • An additional 24 play areas
  • Reducing the height of the apartments closest to Chesterton Farm
  • Reducing the footprint of the employment buildings to the east of Spratsgate Lane
  • Retaining the existing hedgerow along Somerford Road
  • Improving access to the new Cranham’s Lane footpath link from within the new housing so it is clearer and more legible
  • Modification to the southern arm of the Tetbury Road access roundabout.

Following the release of the changes to the application, a spokesman for BDL said: “These latest refinements and modifications can only help to enhance the scheme, making it a truly integrated and sustainable new neighbourhood for the town. 

“We are grateful for all the feedback and advice received to date and we remain committed to delivering a development of the highest calibre.”

However, Patrick Moylan, a spokesman for SOC, was less than impressed by BDL’s alterations to the plans.

“The statement from BDL announces trivial changes and persists with far-fetched claims of benefits for the town,” he said.

“They even hang on to the risible phrase – ‘delivering a lasting legacy’.  
“The reality is that this is an application for a monster development based on a flawed Local Plan that most see as only harmful to Cirencester.”

He added: “Nearly everyone would accept, even welcome, new houses at South Chesterton, but we are looking at 2,350 new dwellings, two-and-a half times more than any similar town in the country has to bear.

“We will continue to oppose the Local Plan and the application because Cirencester has had an unfair and disproportionate number of houses allocated to it and the problem has been compounded by a single site solution that many experts roundly criticise as not solving the housing needs of the Cotswolds.”

BDL also said that further technical information has been provided in response to questions raised by CDC in relation to landscape visual receptors, heritage impact, construction and phasing, soil ground conditions and drainage, as well as landscaping and heritage.

SOC plan to make a statement at today’s CDC cabinet meeting regarding their concerns on pollution that could be generated by the site.

Mr Moylan said: “SOC is asking CDC to urgently probe and this should be an explicit matter in the forthcoming consultation.”