Historic British villages could be lost in Labour's housebuilding ‘frenzy’ as communities balloon in size

Historic British villages could be lost to time under government housing requirements, described as a "frenzy" that will see communities balloon to triple or quadruple their size.

Cotswold District Council must now accommodate 18,650 new dwellings over 18 years following Whitehall's revised housing needs across planning authorities.

The council's Liberal Democrat leader, Mike Evemy, described the targets as "detached from reality".

The soaring property values relative to average earnings in the area have resulted in the district's annual housing requirement more than doubling.

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In correspondence with housing minister Matthew Pennycook, Mr Evemy warned these "eyewatering housing numbers" would fall on historic village areas that "could be overwhelmed by unprecedented levels of new development."

The village of Ampney Crucis, recorded in the Domesday Book and home to approximately 600 residents, could see its population multiply fourfold under the proposed plans.

Neil Holt, a resident, said "dumping 660 houses on the edge of a village" would destroy the community.

"Governments come and go, but the Cotswolds will be living with the consequences forever," he told The Times.

According to consultation documents, Ampney Crucis would potentially triple in size through to 2043 and beyond.

The small rural settlement of Driffield also faces being overshadowed by an entirely new village development nearby, while other communities, including Mickleton and Down Ampney, would be swamped with additional housing.

Moreton-in-Marsh and Fairford – both already struggling with infrastructure demands – face unreasonable expansion.

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The concentration of development on a small number of villages comes as more than 80 per cent of the Cotswolds district falls within the protected Cotswolds National Landscape, leaving communities outside these boundaries to absorb new developments.

The campaign group Moreton Against Overdevelopment has branded the Government's requirements "a wanton act of vandalism."

Councillor Neil Backwith, who chairs the group, noted 900 homes have been constructed in Moreton-in-Marsh since 2010, leaving the town plagued by severe congestion.

"You queue to get into the town and queue to get out," said Mr Backwith/ "It's horrible and completely ruins what is a beautiful little market town."

Responses to the public consultation revealed residents feeling "fear, frustration and powerlessness", with many warning their villages would be "engulfed".

Despite the council making three separate requests for ministerial discussions, Minister of State for Housing and Planning Matthew Pennycook has declined to meet with councillors to address their concerns.

In his response, the minister reaffirmed the Government's commitment to the revised method and confirmed the housing target would remain unchanged.

He stated local circumstances must be examined through the local plan process.

Mr Evemy noted other councils facing similar situations have reported the same outcome when seeking reconsideration.

Beyond the planning disputes, the council has highlighted much of the area already faces water supply pressures and requires sewage treatment upgrades.

Development in the district also raises compatibility concerns with expanding Ministry of Defence operations at RAF Fairford.

A Government spokesman insisted "all areas, including the Cotswolds, must play their part to end the housing crisis".

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