SAVE Our Cirencester has launched a crowdfunding page in a bid to mount legal action to fight the Bathurst housing development.

The campaign group, who have always opposed plans for the development, want to raise the money so they can get the best legal advice.

This follows the decision of Cotswold District Council on January 16 to permit outline planning permission for 2,350 homes.

Since then Save Our Cirencester has continued to fight the application.

At the start of February both Cirencester Town Council and Mark Pratley, chairman of SOC, wrote to the Secretary of State Sajid Javid to delay the plans.

This would have prevented the development until the planning inspector had concluded his examination and published his report.

However they received a response shortly after explaining that such a move would not be appropriate for the case.

Since then the group has received messages from members of the community ranging from ‘keep fighting’ to ‘I will will donate and get others to donate to’.

With numerous residents behind them, the group have decided to launch a ‘crowdjustice’ page to take action against the development.

Now the group are turning to people of Cirencester to assist them in obtaining legal advice to see how they can go forward.

Currently people had pledged a total of £2,335 towards the group’s target of £5,700.

The page can be found at - https://crowdjustice.com/case/save-our-cirencester

Jeremy Handel, on behalf of Bathurst Development Limited (BDL), said: “It is a shame that SOC have decided on this course of action. We will however continue to work tirelessly with all stakeholders to deliver the best scheme possible, providing vital new homes and jobs for all.

“The application was scrutinised intensely over a number of years and was given permission by the whole council back in January. It was also given a green light by the Secretary of State on March 13.”