Plans for thousands of new homes in the Cotswolds "is too much"
The Council is looking to add the homes around Cirencester, Fairford and Moreton-in-Marsh
Plans for 14,665 new homes in the Cotswolds “is too much” according to a recent poll and a village near Cirencester fears it would cause irreversible harm to the landscape.
Ampney Crucis Residents Action Group, commissioned a poll by Electoral Calculus and Find Out Now, to ask Cotswold District Council residents what they think of the proposed blueprint for housing.
An overall increase in house targets set by the Government by about 35 per cent means the authority has to plan for about 14,665 extra homes over the next 18 years.
The Cotswolds National Landscape covers 79 per cent of the district, and the council is placing most of the new homes into just 21 per cent of the district.
Meaning the massive new housebuilding is being pushed into relatively small areas outside the area of outstanding natural beauy.
This creates unsustainable high-density developments which are focused in the countryside around Cirencester, Fairford, Moreton-in-Marsh, according to those opposed to the plan.
Key findings of poll, conducted across the whole of the Cotswold district area found that more than half of the 116 people asked oppose the new Local Plan and 64 per cent say the new development is too much for the Cotswolds
About two-thirds say it’s bad to concentrate development around Cirencester, Fairford and Moreton
The sheer scale and location of this growth has ignited opposition among residents across the entire district.
This is not simply about local opposition to new homes but a district-wide challenge against the practicalities of unrealistic housing targets being imposed by the Government.
A key example is the village of Ampney Crucis, near Cirencester, which faces a 270 per cent increase in its size.
It currently has around 245 homes, which is planned to jump by 660 new homes to 905.
Ampney Crucis Residents Action Group said the village does not have the infrastructure to support the level of development that is planned.
“Ampney Crucis is one of the most historically intact villages in the Cotswolds, with 45 listed buildings and a Conservation Area at its core,” they said.
“A 660-home urban extension here would cause irreversible harm to a heritage landscape that simply cannot be rebuilt once it is gone.
“We do not have the infrastructure to support this. Our roads are quiet country lanes, our primary school could not cope, the transport network and local services are totally insufficient.
“I hope common sense prevails as planning mistakes like this will have a dramatic effect on the all residents of local villages and even Cirencester itself. Please do make your views known to CDC as it’s not too late!”
Find Out Now polled 114 adults in the Cotswold council area online from November 21 to December 3, this year. The sample was weighted to be representative by gender and age.
People who wish to view and comment on the Cotswold District Council’s local plan can do so here. The consultation ends on January 2, 2026.