Agenda, decisions and minutes
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Apologies To receive any apologies for absence. The quorum for Cabinet is 3 members.
Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies were received from Councillor Clare Bloomer and Councillor Paul Hodgkinson. |
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Declarations of Interest To receive any declarations of interest from Members relating to items to be considered at the meeting. Additional documents: Minutes: There were no declarations of interest from Members. |
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Public Questions To deal with questions from the public within the open forum question and answer session of fifteen minutes in total. Questions from each member of the public should be no longer than one minute each and relate to issues under the Cabinet’s remit. At any one meeting no person may submit more than two questions and no more than two such questions may be asked on behalf of one organisation.
The Leader will ask whether any members of the public present at the meeting wish to ask a question and will decide on the order of questioners.
The response may take the form of: a) a direct oral answer; b) where the desired information is in a publication of the Council or other published work, a reference to that publication; or c) where the reply cannot conveniently be given orally, a written answer circulated later to the questioner. Additional documents: Minutes: There were no public questions. |
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Member Questions No Member Questions have been submitted prior to the publication of the agenda.
A Member of the Council may ask the Leader or a Cabinet Member a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties or which affects the Cotswold District. A maximum period of fifteen minutes shall be allowed at any such meeting for Member questions.
A Member may only ask a question if: a) the question has been delivered in writing or by electronic mail to the Chief Executive no later than 5.00 p.m. on the working day before the day of the meeting; or b) the question relates to an urgent matter, they have the consent of the Leader to whom the question is to be put and the content of the question is given to the Chief Executive by 9.30 a.m. on the day of the meeting.
An answer may take the form of: a) a direct oral answer; b) where the desired information is in a publication of the Council or other published work, a reference to that publication; or c) where the reply cannot conveniently be given orally, a written answer circulated later to the questioner. Additional documents: Minutes: There were no member questions. |
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Issue(s) Arising from Overview and Scrutiny and/or Audit and Governance To receive any recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and to consider any matters raised by the Audit and Governance Committee. Additional documents: Minutes: The Leader welcomed Councillor Angus Jenkinson, Vice-Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, who introduced the recommendation of the Committee held on 5 November 2025. The Leader proceeded to read the recommendation made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee which arose from a discussion on item 6 on the Cabinet agenda: Cotswold District Local Plan Regulation 18 – Preferred Options November 2025.
The recommendation was that the Council clearly communicates to town and parish councils and the wider public regarding: a) The importance of getting a local plan in place at the earliest opportunity in order to manage development appropriately and to prevent piecemeal speculative development (which would not provide supporting infrastructure); b) Why the local plan timeline is fixed and the Regulation 18 consultation could not be extended; c) How respondents could make valid contributions and what the material planning considerations are in relation to the Local Plan. It was reported that eight news releases had been issued since July in relation to the Council’s Local Plan. These had been published on the Council’s website, social media channels, newsletters, and through media outlets, all of which highlighted the urgency of putting a Local Plan in place and the work being undertaken.
A comprehensive communications and engagement plan was being implemented to reach diverse audiences through paid, owned, and earned channels. This included presentations to town and parish councillors, public exhibitions, parish-organised meetings, member briefings, Q&A updates on the Council’s webpages, social media activity, newsletters, and the distribution of “Community Comms Packs” to encourage public participation and provide guidance on material planning feedback.
Further messaging was planned in the coming weeks, including a printed newsletter to all households, bus advertising, and posters and leaflets in council-owned facilities.
The Leader thanked Councillor Jenkinson and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for their diligence and question, before moving to the substantive item on the Extraordinary Cabinet agenda.
Full details were noted as being available on the published responses sheet. |
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Cotswold District Local Plan Regulation 18 - Preferred Options November 2025. Purpose: To seek approval to include an addition to the consultation document for the Local Plan Regulation 18 consultation on Preferred Options for Development, and to amend the consultation dates.
Recommendation(s): That Cabinet resolves to 1. approve an addition to the consultation document for the Cotswold District Council Local Plan Review Regulation 18 Consultation Preferred Options (November 2025) and 2. commence a seven-week public consultation on this, starting on 14 November 2025 and finishing on 2 January 2026. Additional documents: Decision: Councillor Mike Evemy, Leader of the Council introduced the item.
The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Mike Evemy and seconded by Councillor Juliet Layton.
RESOLVED that Cabinet 1. Approved an addition to the consultation document for the Cotswold District Council Local Plan Review Regulation 18 Consultation Preferred Options (November 2025); and 2. Approved the commencement of a seven-week public consultation on the Cotswold District Council Local Plan Review Regulation 18 Consultation Preferred Options (November 2025), starting on 14 November 2025 and finishing on 2 January 2026.
Voting Record: 6 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstentions.
Minutes: Councillor Mike Evemy, Leader of the Council introduced the item. Councillor Layton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning outlined the purpose of reviewing and approving an updated version of the Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation document on preferred options for development, together with amended consultation dates. Councillor Layton commended officers for their rapid response to valuable feedback received from town and parish councils at recent engagement sessions, including the event in Moreton-in-Marsh the previous evening. The updates reflected suggestions from members, partners, and residents, as well as input from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, to ensure the document was as robust and transparent as possible prior to publication.
Councillor Layton explained that the revised consultation document now set out not only the preferred development strategy and housing distribution up to 2043, but also the potential for further growth beyond that date. This change aimed to give residents full visibility of the long-term development potential of strategic sites and to enable early dialogue on the infrastructure, transport, education, and healthcare needs that such development would generate.
It was confirmed that, to allow time for these amendments, the start date for the consultation had been moved from 5 November to Friday 14 November, with the consultation period extended to seven weeks. While this adjustment might require some town and parish councils to meet during December, it was noted that further extensions were not possible due to the government’s fixed submission deadline of December 2026. The Local Plan timetable remained extremely tight to allow full consideration of consultation feedback before submission to the Planning Inspectorate.
Officers advised that the updated document incorporated a series of refinements and clarifications. These included:
Officers further noted that visual materials had been improved, including maps and tables, to aid public understanding, and that Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) would be published alongside the consultation document. The updated draft was scheduled for publishing on 7 November 2025, with all feedback from members, scrutiny committees, and engagement events incorporated. The Leader thanked Councillor Layton, officers, and the planning team for their diligence and responsiveness in preparing the updated consultation materials. It was noted that delegated authority had previously been given to the Director of Communities and Place, in consultation with Councillor Layton, to make any minor amendments arising from members’ feedback.
Councillor Angus Jenkinson , Vice-Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee was invited to comment. Councillor Jenkinson, addressed the Cabinet and planning officers. He thanked officers for responding seriously ... view the full minutes text for item 151.
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Carried