Cotswold Council Urges Rethink on Housing Targets Amid Crisis

Cotswold District Council is calling on the UK government to reconsider housing targets that it describes as “totally unrealistic” for the region. The council’s plans could lead to nearly 19,000 new homes being constructed over the next 18 years, a figure that council leaders believe could overwhelm local communities.

The council has invited Steve Reed MP, the newly appointed Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, to visit the district. This invitation aims to provide Reed with a first-hand understanding of the planning constraints the area faces. The appeal follows a similar request made to former minister Angela Rayner in July.

Council leader Mike Evemy expressed concerns regarding the government’s current housing targets, which have increased to more than double previous levels, now standing at 1,036 homes per year. Evemy emphasized that these targets do not take into account the unique challenges faced by the district, where 80 percent of the land is designated as protected National Landscape areas. Additionally, many areas already struggle with inadequate infrastructure.

“Like the algorithm the government has used to calculate housing targets, that response failed to address the critical point around genuine development constraint. Up to now, this fact has been ignored by the government,” Evemy stated.

A public consultation is scheduled to commence on November 5, 2023, allowing residents to voice their opinions on various development strategies. The council’s preferred option is to accommodate 14,660 new homes, which, while short of the government’s target, is based on what officials consider realistic evidence.

Evemy highlighted two pressing issues stemming from the current housing targets. “One is the potential for developers to capitalize on the fact new housing targets weaken the council’s ability to refuse development that doesn’t bring with it the necessary supporting infrastructure,” he warned. “The second is the enormous number of homes we’re expected to plan for, in small and concentrated parts of the district.”

He referenced a specific case involving a 13-home affordable housing scheme in Down Ampney, where completed homes cannot be occupied until Thames Water upgrades the local sewage system, with no completion date currently available.

Leaders from all political parties represented on the council have united in their concerns, signing a joint letter to the Secretary of State. Notable signatories include Cllr Tom Stowe (Conservative), Cllr Clare Turner (Green), Cllr Nikki Ind (Independent), and Evemy (Liberal Democrat), collectively representing all 34 elected members.

Stowe commented on the situation, stating, “The government has put us in an impossible position. It’s doubled the housing target, which means over a thousand homes a year, in a district where most of the land is protected and infrastructure is already stretched.” He further noted that recent local plan reports demonstrate the challenges of fitting these extensive housing numbers into the limited spaces available.

In conclusion, Evemy reiterated the council’s support for new housing but stressed the need for it to be “the right homes in the right places, genuinely affordable, and delivered in a plan-led way with community participation and appropriate infrastructure.” He added, “But the scale of the target does not reflect the constraints we face.”