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Agenda item

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.

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:

  • Updated terminology explaining the meaning of the Regulation 18 consultation stage;
  • Adjusted consultation dates and narrative references throughout;
  • Clarification of how housing figures had been calculated, with new tables separating existing planning permissions, current plan allocations, and windfall assumptions for each settlement;
  • Revised presentation of strategic site data to distinguish development expected up to 2043 and potential delivery beyond;
  • Clarifications within the text and maps to make clear that figures and scenarios were indicative and subject to change;
  • Corrections to formatting, cross-referencing, and terminology for consistency and accuracy.

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 to the issues raised by the Committee and highlighted four points.

The use of clear terminology to describe the Regulation 18 stage, was commended and it was noted that such language could help the public better understand the process. It was also emphasised that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee remained strongly of the view that the government’s housing targets were inappropriate and that this concern should continue to be communicated. Concerns about the consultation period coinciding with the Christmas period and its potential impact on parish and town council engagement were also acknowledged. Despite this, satisfaction with the proposed consultation timeline, was expressed and the importance of progressing the Local Plan without undue delay was recognised. The need for clear communication was also stressed. 

 

The Leader confirmed that the consultation would be presented in clear, accessible language to help the public provide informed feedback about their local areas. He confirmed that the Council remained mindful of the Committee’s concerns regarding the government’s housing targets. He acknowledged the Committee’s effective scrutiny of the consultation timeline, noting that while the formal consultation period began the following week, engagement with town and parish councils had already started, including a session in Moreton-in-Marsh and an upcoming session in Cirencester. He highlighted that a comprehensive communications plan was in place to ensure the public were well informed about potential housing locations and thanked the Committee for their contributions

 

Councillor Wilkinson noted that Lechlade and Fairford parish councils would not meet again during the consultation period and asked why the consultation could not be extended into mid-January to allow them more time.

Officers explained that the consultation had to run for a minimum of six weeks. Extending beyond 2 January would create delays in the programme, affecting subsequent stages such as reviewing representations, assessing site feasibility, and submitting the Local Plan to the Planning Inspectorate by the statutory deadline.

Councillor Layton added that the draft consultation document had already been in the public domain for nearly a month, enabling parish councils to review it in advance, and emphasised that the updated document included only a few additions reflecting long-term infrastructure considerations.

Councillor McKeown acknowledged the scale of housing proposed, particularly in Kemble, and highlighted concerns regarding infrastructure and the character of the village. He encouraged residents to participate in the consultation to provide feedback on potential impacts.

Councillor Coleman asked for clarification on how windfall housing figures were calculated.

Officers responded that windfall estimates were based on historical data from the previous five to ten years, excluding certain types of development, and accounting for build-out rates and permissions granted.

The Leader reiterated the importance of community engagement, acknowledging the significant changes proposed for some villages and the pressures created by national housing targets. He encouraged residents to respond to the consultation and noted that feedback should focus on material planning considerations such as amenity, highways, environment, economy, housing need, and community facilities.

 

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning summed up and it was noted that responses needed to be valid planning representations and highlighted the supporting footnotes and guidance included in the consultation document to assist respondents.

 

It was confirmed that minor amendments to the document could be made prior to publication under delegated authority granted at Cabinet on 16 October 2025.

 

The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Mike Evemy and seconded by Councillor Juliet Layton.

 

Voting Record:

6 For,  0 Against, 0 Abstentions.

 

 

Supporting documents:

 

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