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.
