By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
The Bathurst Estate’s bid to double the amount of homes which can be occupied to 1,000 before a new school is built has been met with strong opposition in Cirencester.
Plans have been submitted to Cotswold District Council (CDC) to change the arrangement for the 2,350-home planned development south of Chesterton.
The outline plans for the 297.5-acres of land also included up to 100 units of student accommodation and 60 homes for the elderly.
The scheme aims to provide 22.4 acres of employment land a primary school, a neighbourhood centre with, public open space, allotments, playing fields and pedestrian and cycle links onto Tetbury Road, Somerford Road and Cranhams Lane.
Currently, a legal agreement for the site means more than 499 homes at the site cannot be occupied before the first phase of a new primary school is completed.
However, Bathurst Development Limited (BDL) have requested that this be changed and increased to 1,000.
The section 106 planning obligation also requires the second phase of the school be completed before 1,250 homes are occupied – however the developers want to change this to 1,750.
“The variation is required as the following updates to the school place planning calculations which have indicated that fewer school places are required and capacity in existing schools is sufficient to cater for school aged children for a longer period than first anticipated,” the covering letter sent to the council on behalf of Bathurst Development Limited states.
These plans have been met with strong opposition in the town with some 29 people objecting on the council’s planning portal.
Among them is former Cirencester teacher John Nicholas who said children living in the town have to travel to schools miles away when insufficient school places are provided
“Experience over the last half-century shows that ‘falling birthrates’ will be history by the time 500 homes have been occupied at the Steadings,” he said.
“BDL has already covered itself against the risk of lower house sales. Under the existing the section 106 agreement BDL can sell 499 houses without obligation to provide the new school.
“However potential house purchasers will avoid the Steadings if it is simply 1,000 homes with no primary school, shops, GP surgery or bus service.
“CDC must hold BDL to the obligations they freely entered into to gain their original planning permission.”
And Harrison Bowley, another objector, said the proposed change is an “unacceptable deferral of essential infrastructure”.
“Allowing 1,000 and later 1,750 houses to be occupied before the financial contribution is secured will place an unsustainable strain on existing local primary schools, contradicting the principles of sustainable development and failing to make the development acceptable in planning terms,” he said.
While James Bell said: “For BDL to renege on their commitment to providing a primary school after 500 homes have been built typifies their lack of empathy with our town.
“The infrastructure will be overwhelmed with this huge development as it is, but to attempt to weasel out from the original proposal is as unacceptable as The Steadings is.”
Mark Pratley, chairman of campaign group Save our Cirencester said if the council allows the change ot go through it will have a huge impact on local schools.
“Parents will be forced to have the added expense of bussing children to other locations or taking them by car, how sustainable is that?
“The first things parents look for is the provision of local schools, I fear that if this proposal is allowed to go ahead, various promises will just wither on the vine and we will just end up with a large estate on the town boundaries.”
The Bathurst Estate has been approached for comment.
Residents can view and comment on the proposal by visiting Cotswold District Council’s planning portal and searching for application 25/03509/DMPO.