DETAILED proposals for two new housing developments in Chipping Campden received mixed reviews at a public exhibition.

Hunter Page Planning hosted a drop-in event in the town hall last Thursday for people to see the finer details for the Badgers Field and Berrington Mill developments.

Outline plans for eight affordable and eight private homes on land off George Lane were approved on appeal last November despite a massive outcry from the community.

The plans, originally put forward by Longborough Developments, were previously refused four times by Cotswold District Council’s planning committee and once on appeal.

Outline plans for 26 dwellings with access road, footpaths and associated works on land at Berrington Mill Nurseries, Station Road, were also approved last November.

Both developments will include a mix of three and four bedroom open market properties while 50 per cent will be affordable flats.

A Station Road resident said: "It doesn't look too bad, I just hope they stick to the original application and it doesn't get altered."

Another resident who lives in the High Street said she was happy with the proposals.

"I think we need more houses," she said. "I was always in favour of Badger's Field right from the beginning. People have to have somewhere to live especially people who are working in the town, younger people who are our future."

But Campden resident Dr Bob King, said he was concerned about the amount of development around the town.

"I'm concerned about the implications," he said. "The Government is so obsessed with getting volumes built and not given any consideration to growing the necessary infrastructure to match those volumes."

Ray Leigh, of The Green, said he did not fundamentally object to the proposals but had concerns over the design.

"My constant concern is we're not passing on to future generations anything that will represent the 21st century in terms of architecture," he said. "I would like to see it much more modern. It's just rather boring.

"You've got 400 years of architecture in the town and they all sit together, that's the charm of Campden."

Jonathan Dyke, land director of developer Spitfire Bespoke Homes which bought the site from Longbough, said the new designs are a lot better than the outline plans.

"In terms of design, we've made it a lot more attractive," he said. "We've worked with the town council and with the housing association to develop what Campden needs in terms of affordable housing.

"When it's actually built it will be something that will look really good and will weather and it will form part of Campden. They will be very high quality houses using natural materials and timber windows."

The applications are set to be submitted in the next six weeks.