EIGHTY-eight new homes will be built in Siddington, next to the proposed Chesterton site for 2,350 homes, despite a unanimous refusal by Cotswold District Council (CDC) last summer.

Plans for the homes on the land south of Love Lane, near Siddington Primary School, was unanimously refused by CDC’s planning committee on August 10 last year.

Less than a month later, developers Great Gable Ltd submitted an appeal. The appeal was permitted on June 13, after an inquiry led by Sian Worden took place from February 28 to March 2.

Of the 88 homes, half will be affordable housing.

Plans also include a new road access off Park Way, a new school hall at Siddington Primary, a solar park, pedestrian and cycle links to the wider area and extra-capacity drainage for hundreds of houses in the surrounding area.

The development could add to or become an extension of a larger 2,350-home Chesterton scheme which is being proposed.

Reasons for refusal put forward by CDC in August last year were in respect to the effect on the countryside, the effect on the setting of a listed building and the absence of a section 106 agreement. An agreement had been reached on the latter two.

So in considering the appeal, the main issue was the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the countryside.

Ms Worden however said that the adverse impacts of the scheme would be “significantly and demonstrably” outweighed by the benefits, which includes a considerable number of new houses and affordable dwellings, support for the local primary school and a source of renewable energy.

Planning obligations attached to the application include financial contributions per dwelling towards the provision of additional spaces at Siddington Primary School and Cirencester’s secondary schools, contributions towards library provision and detailed plans for the provision of a school drop-off point and a solar park.

Mark Pratley, of the Save Our Cirencester campaign against the proposed 2,350 homes in Chesterton, supported the development last year. He cited benefits to the local school and the possibility that it could allow the numbers of houses in the Chesterton development to be reduced.

Cirencester Town Council previously did not object to the application, believing that it was an extension of the proposed Chesterton site and that it would bring added benefits to the community.

But in response to the announcement of the appeal decision, Stuart Tarr, chair of the town council’s planning group, pointed out concerns that the presumed outcome of the Chesterton development had been used as a considering factor in the appeal.

In Ms Worden’s report, she wrote that “the argument that the proposed development is uncharacteristic in the surrounding area is undermined by the probable allocation of the strategic site (the Chesterton development)”.