Cotswold District Council Must Build 18,650 Homes Over 18 Years

Cotswold District Council must accommodate 18,650 new dwellings over the next 18 years under revised government housing requirements. The council's Liberal Democrat leader, Mike Evemy, described the targets as detached from reality in correspondence with housing minister Matthew Pennycook.

He warned that the numbers would concentrate development in historic villages outside the protected Cotswolds National Landscape.

Crucis, recorded in the Domesday Book and home to about 600 residents, could see its population increase fourfold if 660 houses are added. Consultation documents indicate the settlement could triple in size through 2043. Driffield faces a proposed new village nearby, while Mickleton and Down Ampney are also slated for additional housing.

Moreton-in-Marsh and Fairford, already reporting infrastructure strain, would receive further allocations. Neil Holt, a resident of Ampney Crucis, told The Times that placing 660 houses on the edge of the village would destroy the community. Councillor Neil Backwith, chair of Moreton Against Overdevelopment, noted that 900 homes have been built in Moreton-in-Marsh since 2010 and said traffic congestion has worsened.

A government spokesman stated that all areas, including the Cotswolds, must contribute to addressing the housing shortage. Housing minister Matthew Pennycook declined three requests for meetings with council representatives and confirmed the target would remain unchanged.

The council has cited existing pressures on water supply and sewage treatment capacity, as well as potential conflicts with Ministry of Defence operations at RAF Fairford. More than 80 percent of the district lies within the Cotswolds National Landscape, limiting where new building can occur.