Save Our Cirencester reach target to obtain legal advice

Cirencester residents pledged more than £6,000 with 10 days to go before the closing date for donations.

The group is raising money so it can obtain legal advice to see how it can go forward and try to take action against the development.

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

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

Once the target was reached the group stopped taking in donations.

However, by this morning, people had pledged £6,145 and with so many people asking to pledge, the group made the decision to re-open the page with a new target of £9,800.

Save Our Cirencester chairman Mark Pratley said: “With two weeks still to run we took the decision to stop accepting pledges, when we reached our target figure of £5,700.

“We are extremely grateful that people have responded positively to our Crowd Justice campaign, thus giving us the opportunity to engage the law firm Richard Buxton.

“They have extensive experience with planning and environmental matters and will advise us on whether we can use the law to avoid the scale of the planned Chesterton development.

“Save Our Cirencester have always felt that CDC have failed to acknowledge the strength of feeling that the people of Cirencester have about the size of the development, and the potentially adverse and harmful impact it will have on the town.

“At least Save Our Cirencester will now have the opportunity to seek independent advice on the matter.”

Jeremy Handel, on behalf of Bathurst Development Limited, 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 crowdjustice page can be found at - https://crowdjustice.com/case/save-our-cirencester