Concerns over roads, healthcare, and environment identified
Dr Roz Savage, MP for South Cotswolds, has expressed concern over the Government’s ambitious housing targets for the district, highlighting significant infrastructure challenges that may arise.
The Cotswold District Council is consulting on its new Local Plan, which seeks to accommodate 18,650 new homes between 2026 and 2043, equating to over 1,000 homes annually.
This represents more than a doubling of previous targets, intensifying pressure in areas protected by environmental laws.
Housing Targets and Infrastructure Concerns
This large-scale development will concentrate on eight strategic sites, including significant projects in Siddington, Moreton-in-Marsh, and west of Driffield, among others.
Speaking in a housing and planning debate on 24th February 2026, Dr Savage warned:
“If the number of homes in an area is doubled but the roads, buses, rail capacity, flood protection and sewerage are not doubled, something has to give,” Savage said.
She emphasised the risks of infrastructure failing to keep up with growth, particularly in rural areas like Siddington, Cricklade, and Sherston, which already face infrastructural pressures.
Proposed Solutions and Pressures
The Liberal Democrats have proposed that developers accompany new housing with medical facilities, funding new GP surgeries and services to ensure local healthcare isn’t overwhelmed.
Currently, the council doesn’t maintain a five-year housing land supply, making its planning policies vulnerable to speculative development applications.
Dr Savage, alongside Conservative MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, has appealed to the Housing Secretary for a reassessment of housing goals that account for the area’s infrastructure limitations.
“Real, affordable, well-connected homes are needed, not estates that strain village resources,” Dr Savage stated.
We’ve contacted the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government for a response.