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Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting - Friday, 25 September 2026 - 10.00 am
September 25, 2026 at 10:00 am Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting View on council website Watch video of meeting Read transcript (Professional subscription required)Summary
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The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, Councillor Juliet Layton, approved the Chipping Campden Neighbourhood Plan and agreed Cotswold District Council's response to the Regulation 16 consultation on the Siddington Neighbourhood Plan, also confirming the procurement of an independent examiner for the Siddington plan.
Chipping Campden Neighbourhood Plan
Councillor Juliet Layton formally approved the Chipping Campden Neighbourhood Plan, following a successful referendum where 95% of voters were in favour. The plan, which has been through extensive consultation and examination, will now be formally adopted into the Council's development plan framework. This means that future planning applications in Chipping Campden will be assessed against both the current Local Plan and this new Neighbourhood Plan. Councillor Layton commended the Town Council for their work in bringing the plan to fruition. Discussions also touched upon the review process for neighbourhood plans, with officers advising that they should generally be reviewed every five years, particularly concerning housing matters, although policies on local green spaces and heritage assets could continue to carry weight. The review process for a neighbourhood plan can be less stringent than its initial development, depending on the extent of proposed changes.
Siddington Neighbourhood Plan
The meeting considered Cotswold District Council's (CDC) response to the Regulation 16 consultation on the Siddington Neighbourhood Plan. CDC's proposed response supported the principle of a green gap between Siddington and Cirencester but recommended amendments to its boundary to accommodate proposed housing allocations informed by recent landscape evidence. The Council also broadly supported the proposed settlement boundary, acknowledging it was drawn tightly around existing built-up areas due to emerging housing allocations not yet being formally adopted. Amendments were recommended for other policies to ensure local specificity, effectiveness, and consistency with the Local Plan and national policy, covering areas such as housing mix, design, heritage assets, local green spaces, important views, trees and hedgerows, flooding, sustainable transport, and community facilities.
Concerns were raised regarding the proposed Canal Lane designation for a local green space, with officers suggesting further consideration of whether the entire area met the relevant criteria. The Council also agreed to procure an independent examiner through a competitive bidding process to undertake the examination of the Siddington Neighbourhood Plan at Regulation 17. A fast examination timetable was proposed, aiming for a referendum on 25 February 2027, with a potential delay until the local elections on 6 May 2027 if this timetable could not be met. The Cabinet Member expressed satisfaction with the officer preparation and the proposed procurement of an independent examiner.
During the discussion on the Siddington Neighbourhood Plan, it was clarified that the plan was being considered against the 2026 version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Specific policies discussed included those relating to flooding, where the focus was on surface water and groundwater flooding and the provision of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). Community facilities identified in the plan included the Village Hall, St Peter's Church, the Greyhound Pub, playing fields, allotments, the post office and shop, and the primary school.
Several representations were received regarding the proposed footpath and cycle route from Siddington church to Tesco, raising concerns about flooding, security for residents of Wildwood Park, impact on views and wildlife, and the potential for anti-social behaviour. Objections were also raised regarding the proposed development boundary and the green gap policy, with arguments that these conflicted with the emerging Cotswold District Local Plan 2043 and the latest version of the NPPF. Concerns were also voiced about the policy on the Old Talland School of Equitation, suggesting it was overly restrictive and replicated existing national and local policies. The Bathurst Estate also submitted representations, suggesting that the Neighbourhood Plan should be paused to align with the emerging Cotswold Local Plan 2043 and the latest NPPF. National Grid Electricity Transmission also provided comments regarding their assets within the plan area and the need to safeguard them for future network expansion.
Delegated decisions linked to this meeting
Decision summaries below are AI-generated from the council’s published record. Check the council source or the full decision page before relying on them.
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Matter 1: Chipping Campden Neighbourhood Plan
Recommendations ApprovedDeputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting decided to approve the making of the Chipping Campden Neighbourhood Plan. This followed a successful referendum on 25 September 2026.
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Public Questions
Recommendations ApprovedDeputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting approved recommendations on 25/09/2026. There were no public questions.
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Declarations of Interest
Recommendations ApprovedDeputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting approved recommendations on 25/09/2026. There were no declarations of interests.
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Confirmation of Comments
Recommendations ApprovedDeputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting approved recommendations on 25/09/2026. No additional comments were received since the agenda's publication.
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Public Questions
Recommendations ApprovedDeputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting approved recommendations on 25/09/2026. There were no public questions.
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Officer overview of the report
Recommendations ApprovedDeputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting approved the Chipping Campden Neighbourhood Plan on 25/09/2026. The plan will now be formally adopted into the Council’s development plan framework.
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Report - Neighbourhood Plan Chipping Campden and Siddington (Reg.16 and 17)
Recommendations ApprovedThe Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting approved recommendations on 25 September 2026. The Chipping Campden Neighbourhood Plan was made following a successful referendum. For Siddington, the council agreed its response to the Regulation 16 consultation and confirmed it would procure an Independent Examiner for the Neighbourhood Plan.
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Siddington Reg 16 Consultation and Reg. 17 progression
Recommendations ApprovedDeputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting of Cotswold Council decided to approve recommendations on 25/09/2026. The decision considered the Council’s response to the Regulation 16 consultation on the Siddington Neighbourhood Plan and the procurement of an Independent Examiner for its examination.
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Cabinet Member Introduction
Recommendations ApprovedDeputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting approved recommendations on 25/09/2026. The meeting considered the making of the Chipping Campden Neighbourhood Plan and the Council's response to the Siddington Neighbourhood Plan consultation.
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Decision
Recommendations ApprovedDeputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting decided to approve the Chipping Campden Neighbourhood Plan on 25 September 2026. The Cabinet Member accepted officer recommendations to make the plan part of the Council's development plan framework.
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Cabinet Member questions
Recommendations ApprovedDeputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting approved recommendations on 25/09/2026. The Cabinet Member raised questions about the alignment of Neighbourhood Plans with the new Local Plan. Officers advised that Neighbourhood Plans are generally compatible, and the Chipping Campden Neighbourhood Plan can be reviewed or modified if the Local Plan changes. Neighbourhood Plans should generally be reviewed every five years, with the review process depending on the extent of proposed changes.
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Cabinet Member Questions
Recommendations ApprovedDeputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting approved recommendations on 25/09/2026. The Neighbourhood Plan is being considered against the 2026 NPPF version. The policy addresses surface water and groundwater flooding and identifies community facilities.
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Decision
Recommendations ApprovedThe Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting decided to approve the council's response to the Siddington Neighbourhood Plan consultation. The decision was made on 25/09/2026. The council will procure an Independent Examiner to undertake the examination of the plan.
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Officer overview of the report
Recommendations ApprovedDeputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting approved recommendations on 25/09/2026. The Council accepted the submission of the Siddington Neighbourhood Plan and outlined its proposed response to the Regulation 16 consultation. This included supporting the principle of a green gap but recommending boundary amendments, broadly supporting the settlement boundary, and recommending amendments to remaining policies for local specificity and consistency. The Council will procure an independent examiner and aims for a referendum on 25 February 2026.
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Confirmation of Comments
Recommendations ApprovedDeputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting approved recommendations on 25/09/2026. No additional comments were received since the agenda's publication.
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