Fears Cotswolds' 'northern gateway' will be ruined by plans to build 400 homes
Summary
There are fears the “northern gateway to the Cotswolds ” could be spoilt by an “urban sprawl” if plans to build 400 homes in a Cotswold village are given the go-ahead. Mickleton near Chipping Campden could see more than 400 homes built in the coming years. And villagers are seriously concerned about the impact this will have given the lack of new infrastructure and services.
Details
This issue was raised as Newland Homes’ plans to build 95 homes on 5.5 hectares of land north of Tops Nursery Broadway Road were debated at Cotswold District Council’s on May 13. The proposal includes some 38 affordable homes but more than 30 villagers opposed the plans.
And Mickleton Parish Council chairman Chris Cottam told the meeting further development without investment in infrastructure will make things worse “This is not theory, it is the lived experience of the last ten years of overdevelopment with an actual reduction in available infrastructure,” he said.
He said appropriate affordable homes would be welcomed but that “does not include four and five bedroom market housing to be purchased by retirees second homers and for use as Airbnb”. He said the only real beneficiaries were the developers, landowners and district council. And warned if all homes planned for the village are approved it would expand by more than 50 per cent.
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It would create an “urban sprawl” at the “northern gateway of the Cotswolds” and would damage the landscape, he added. “No significant further development should take place in Mickleton until an effective plan for infrastructure is developed and committed,” he said. Andy Crump, an objector, also spoke against the proposals at the meeting and called for its refusal.
But Catherine Sheppard, planning manager at Newland Homes, said the proposals would provide 38 affordable homes and are policy compliant. She said the site is in walking distance to local services and regular bus services. “Our layout provides good separation distances to existing residential dwellings,” she said.
“We will provide ecology and biodiversity enhancements to the site and retain existing ecology corridors and provide hedgehog highways and bat and bird boxes within our development along with new and enhanced tree and shrub planting.” She said the local housebuilder is a sustainable developer and has completed more than 300 zero carbon homes. And concluded saying she hoped councillors would support the scheme.
The meeting heard how ward councillor Tom Stowe (C) declared an interest last year, early in the planning process, as his father owns part of the application site and he did not take part in the meeting. However, fellow Campden and Vale Councillor Gina Blomefield (C) who also represents the area did speak at the meeting.