The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cotswold District Council met on Tuesday 8 July 2025 to discuss the update of the Local Plan and the findings of a peer review of the Planning Service. The meeting's agenda included a review of the Local Plan update process, which aims to address increased housing needs and protect the district's unique landscape, and an examination of the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) Peer Challenge report and its associated action plan.

Local Plan Update

The committee was scheduled to scrutinise a report concerning the update of the Cotswold District Local Plan. This update is a significant undertaking, driven by a revised national calculation of housing needs which has more than doubled the requirement for new homes in the district to 1,036 per year. The report outlined the intention to merge two ongoing Local Plan projects – the partial update of the adopted Local Plan (2011-2031) and the Development Strategy and Site Allocations Plan – into a single, comprehensive Full Local Plan Update. This consolidated plan is intended to be submitted for examination by December 2026, with adoption anticipated in 2028.

The report highlighted that Cotswold District currently lacks a five-year housing land supply, meaning that adopted Local Plan policies governing housing supply are out-of-date. This situation increases the risk of unplanned developments, as planning applications are now subject to a tilted balance where harms must significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of granting permission. The report also detailed the district's numerous areas and assets of particular importance, including 80% of its land within the Cotswolds National Landscape, numerous Conservation Areas, and a high number of listed buildings and scheduled ancient monuments, which may justify a lower housing requirement than the government's calculated figure.

The proposed approach involves streamlining the Local Plan process, investing in additional resources, and establishing a Local Plan Oversight Board. The report also discussed the need to update the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and the Infrastructure Delivery Plan to support an infrastructure first approach to development. Several alternative options were presented, including joining with other Gloucestershire planning authorities, undertaking a review in tandem with a Gloucestershire Strategic Plan, or awaiting new regulations, alongside the option of not undertaking a plan update, which was deemed not a reasonable alternative. The financial implications of accelerating the Local Plan update were also detailed, including the costs incurred to date and projected future expenditure, as well as the significant financial risks associated with not having an up-to-date Local Plan and a five-year housing land supply.

PAS Peer Review and Action Plan

The committee was also scheduled to review the findings of the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) Planning Service Peer Challenge report, dated May 2025, and the resultant Action Plan. This peer challenge, which followed a corporate peer challenge in October 2022, aimed to identify the strengths of the Planning Service and areas for improvement. The review focused on four themes: vision and leadership, performance and management, engagement with partners and the community, and achieving outcomes.

The report detailed thirteen key recommendations for the Planning Service. These included enhancing internal communication and understanding of the Council's vision, ensuring active involvement of the planning service in the Corporate Plan refresh, and conducting an options appraisal to inform the development of the Local Plan. It also recommended implementing robust project management and governance frameworks, reviewing and revising staff terms and conditions to address recruitment challenges and career progression, and enhancing formal collaboration among teams. Further recommendations focused on reducing the use of Extensions-of-Time (EoTs) for planning applications, reviewing and improving the Planning Performance Agreement (PPA) process, strengthening Planning Enforcement resources, and maximising digital capabilities and embracing technological innovation. Finally, the report advised developing a comprehensive stakeholder engagement plan and a comprehensive service plan with robust performance monitoring. The financial implications of implementing these recommendations were also outlined, noting that some actions might require additional funding.