Cotswold: A planning consultant’s view

Cotswold District is an interesting area to work in and we have been providing planning consultancy services on residential, commercial and householder development projects for over 12 years.

Undoubtedly a beautiful area, in planning terms it has unique challenges; approximately 80% of the District’s total land area is covered by the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

This article seeks to provide an overview of the latest planning issues and considerations for the area.

Cotswold District Council – adopted local plan position

Cotswold District Council adopted their Local Plan in August 2018.  This plan provides the planning framework for the District for the period up to 2031.

However, in line with a government requirement for Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to review their plans every 5 years, a Local Plan review is currently underway, albeit this will be a partial review.

The Regulation 18 ‘Issues and Options’ is now live and can we found here. This public consultation will run until the 20th of March 2022.

Day to day, the LPA continues to use their adopted Local Plan (2018) as the primary framework for consideration when deciding applications.

Cotswold District Council – latest emerging local plan position

Limited information is available on an updated local plan as it is in its early stages, this is something which we keep a close eye on.

5-year housing land supply and housing delivery in Cotswold

The LPA released a housing land supply report in October 2021. It confirms that Cotswold has a healthy supply of housing at 7.2 years. This is taking account of a 5% buffer.

As for their housing delivery test, they have provided over their required housing delivery figures in the last 3 years. They have a housing delivery test score of 163%.

Building in Cotswold – what this means for landowners and developers

Even with the associated planning challenges of the district land designations, there is plenty of opportunity for considered developments which respond well to local context.

In regard to the current 5-year housing land supply position, it is worth remembering that this is just a minimum figure.

It will be interesting to see how the housing land supply position stand up over the coming years.

How we can help you

Our team regularly help landowners and developers promote land as potential strategic development sites and we can assist in a variety of ways, including:

1. Provide planning consultancy assistance with planning applications and planning appeals;
2. Strategy advice; and
3. Local plan representations.

Contact our team via enquiries@plainview.co.uk or call us on 01242 501003 to see how we can best assist you, providing the site address and a brief overview of your project. We value your privacy and any information which you provide will not be shared outside of our company and will only be used in relation to your enquiry.

A planning consultant in Cotswold – our experience

With upwards of 12 years’ experience in the area, a snapshot of some of our projects can be seen below:

Watermoor Point recently acquired Mitsubishi’s previous headquarters in Cirencester. We are working with them to bring the site forward as a fluid workspace for businesses of all shapes and sizes. – www.watermoorpoint.co.uk

Our planning team successfully secured planning approval for the change of use of a public house within Cirencester to provide 6 apartments. Applications for the loss of a public house can be complicated. Our teams approach, understanding of local planning policy and effective engagement with the LPA were key to success.

Content correct at the time of publication. For the most up-to-date advice or to discuss your project, please contact our team directly.

Key resources:

Cotswold District Council – Housing Land Supply Report October 2021