A COMPREHENSIVE plan for the Cotswolds, which will provide a blueprint for the future development of the area, has been approved.

The detailed plan is intended to be used by councils, developers, businesses and people living in the area as a guide to ensure that the district remains the thriving, picturesque place that it has become.

Included within the plans, which were produced as part of a significant consultation and research-based project, is advice for future developments.

For instance, cyclists may be pleased to hear that a recommendation has been included in the plans for a new and improved cyclepath from South Cerney to Cirencester, the Cotswold Water Park and Duke of Gloucester Barracks.

 

Cirencester's future has been mapped as part of the local plan. Pic: Chris Hailstone from Wonderful Walks Photography

Maps of the district have been produced that highlight how many homes can be built within each town, with detailed instruction of where the houses should be.

Those plans reveal that Tetbury will see a possible population increase of up to 61 homes in two locations, as well as a focus on improving local education facilities.

Cotswold district councillor Nick Parsons (Ermin, Con), cabinet member for forward planning across the district, said that he believes the plan would play a vital role in protecting the district, 80 per cent of which is considered an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

“By producing a detailed local plan, rather than a core strategy as other councils have chosen to do, the council can now demonstrate a healthy and enduring housing land supply that will ensure it is no longer vulnerable to predatory planning applications in unsuitable locations.”

Officers at the council took one year to complete the plan, despite choosing a single comprehensive local plan, rather than producing a core strategy followed by a series of separate documents which would have taken longer to complete.

 

Stow-on-the-Wold's car parks will be tackled as part of the plans for the district

This means that the 10,000 homes included in the plan for the district have been carefully shared between different towns within the area - although some of them have been built already.

“It’s not just as simple as dropping a group of houses in a town or village,” Cllr Parsons explained.

“We have needed to look at the impact on local roads, schools and even sewage systems to ensure that they can cope.”

A government inspector has approved the plan, with a small number of requested amendments, which the Standard will explore further in future articles in this series, but the plan will also be monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure that it remains a reasonable plan for the area.

 

Included in the plans are recommendations for a new and improved cycle path from South Cerney to Cirencester. Pic: Phillip Poole

Cllr Parsons said that key to the plan was the council’s ability to ensure that houses would actually be built.

“As part of our plan we spoke to landowners and developers to try to understand where it would be possible to develop the area.

This crucial part of the planning process hopes to make the plan sustainable, where possible, however there has been flexibility built in it to account for unforeseeable changes.

Changes that could prompt a change of the plan could include properties or land suddenly becoming available for development.

 

Tetbury will see additional homes being built as part of the district-wide allocation for additional housing. Pic: Mike Barby

The local plan is an important policy for the district, as Cllr Parsons points out: “We live in an outstandingly beautiful area and we need to protect it, whilst still providing homes within communities for those wanting to live here.”

  • Next week the Wilts and Glos will look at what is included in the local plan for Lechlade