Summary
More than 1,000 responses are piling up as people have their say on plans to build almost 19,000 homes in the Cotswolds . Cotswold district planners are in the process of creating a new local plan, which will set out where development will take place in the area over the next 20 years.
Details
Campaigners have reported difficulty giving feedback during an online consultation, but the council has denied technical faults with the system and offered reassurance that no submissions have been “lost” despite claims to the contrary. Residents are now being encouraged to take up their “last chance” to take part as the consultation deadline is extended.
The new local plan includes major expansion to market towns and the creation of large villages. It earmarks 3,717 new homes in and around Cirencester, 2,217 homes in Moreton-in-Marsh, 1,658 homes in Down Ampney and 1,238 new homes in Mickleton . Council leaders say the local plan is “absolutely vital” to curb speculative development.
However, it has sparked strong opposition across the district with residents fearing it will ruin the character of their communities. Concerns have been raised this month over changes to the council’s online portal, which people can use to have their say on the new blueprint.
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Village campaign group Mickleton Against Inappropriate Development (MAID) claim it is flawed and they feel it doesn’t allow residents to comment in a meaningful way. “When you go online to fill out their form for representation you find that the form has changed without comment from Cotswold District Council (CDC),” a spokesperson for the group said.
“Indeed, CDC had discounted some of the earlier representations as they did not adhere to the format they requested. However the new format does not allow you to complete the form to adhere to their conditions.” They also claimed there are issues with the portal’s new format when trying to fill in the form and fear the council was “filtering out public evidence during transcription”.
MAID also said there have been errors affecting the ” “The ramifications of this are far and wide, critically risking our residents’ submissions being lost in the coding process,” MAID said in a press release. The council has extended the local plan consultation which can be viewed and commented on by clicking here , but says this is unrelated to the concerns raised by MAID.
Conservative councillor Tom Stowe (C, Campden and Vale) is concerned residents and organisations are “seemingly experiencing such difficulty in making representations and making their views known on this highly contentious plan”. He said there is concern across the district that the Liberal Democrats are “deadset on railroading this plan through regardless”.
Report source: Gloucestershire Live
