The ‘secret’ plans for a ‘new city like Milton Keynes’ in the Cotswolds

'Doubling the number of dwellings in our district isn't a sustainable solution to the housing crisis.'

A ‘secret’ plan to build thousands of new homes in the Cotswolds has caused outrage.

A leaked document revealed Gloucestershire County Council has been developing a long-term growth plan for the county – which includes 23,000 new homes being built between Cirencester and Kemble.

But it’s feared the plans could double the local population, adding strain to the area’s existing infrastructure and negatively impact the area’s beauty and character.

Joe Harris, the leader of Cotswold District Council, has fiercely criticised the plans and says it would be akin to building a new city the size of Milton Keynes.

But the county council has hit back, saying the document was produced with the ‘with the full knowledge and involvement of the six districts, including Cotswold District Council’.

Cllr Harris criticised the ‘secretive’ nature of the plans and their viability, as he claims the 23,000 new homes would nearly double the existing housing stock in the Cotswolds.

He told MailOnline: ‘These plans are staggering to say the least. It would create a new city like Milton Keynes in the Cotswolds.

‘Doubling the number of dwellings in our district isn’t a sustainable solution to the housing crisis, it’s simply unworkable and would lack community support.

‘The Cotswolds are world-renowned as a special place to visit and developing new affordable homes is already hard as 80% of our district is in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

‘As a result, most of the development in our area is already falling on Cirencester and Moreton-in-Marsh which are just outside of the AONB.

‘Our approach should prioritise developing brown-field sites and smaller-scale developments that offer genuinely affordable housing while preserving our area’s distinctive character.

‘Our roads, sewage network, and healthcare services are already stretched thinly. Implementing these proposals would only exacerbate these challenges, turning the Cotswolds into a construction site for the foreseeable future.

‘These plans were concocted behind closed doors, with little regard for transparency or genuine community engagement.’

A map produced as part of the document shows areas of Gloucestershire, including the Cotswolds, which would be suitable for ‘substantial development’ or ‘development’ as part of their plans for housebuilding between 2031 to 2051.

While much of the area is protected due to being part of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), there are several parcels of land which have been highlighted as potential development sites.

These include areas around Twekesbury and Cheltenham as well as the contested area close to Cirencester.

Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire District Council, said: ‘Cllr Harris knows that the county council has no responsibility for housing, but we do have responsibility to work with district councils on transport issues and this document is a direct result of us working with all six districts to do just that.

‘It cannot, and will never be a county council policy or plan as this is beyond our statutory powers.’

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