BLOCKLEY folk are not against housing development in the village, but are united in vigorously opposing large-scale development.

Cala Homes’ application to put 33 houses on the field off Draycott Road, within the area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) at the eastern gateway to the village, represents three-fifths of Blockley’s remaining 20-year quota.

By any benchmark, this must count as a major development.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) says planning permission for major development in an AONB should be refused unless there are exceptional circumstances and where it can be proved that these are in the public interest.

The land off Draycott Road is a ridge-and-furrow field known as Little Shoe Broad and is outside the established development boundary of the village.

Several previous applications to build on this site were all refused both by Cotswold District Council (CDC) and on appeal primarily due to this being a green field site outside the established village boundary.

Indeed, whilst this was under a different set of rules, the current NPPF guidelines are equally protective of such land, providing the council has got its act in place.

Recent decisions in Stow (CDC) and Broadway (Wychavon) show that protection is once again being given now that the five-year housing land supply plus 25 per cent target has been reached.

Two final points: this field was held by Blockley Parish Council to be unsuitable "as the site is poorly connected and has higher environmental sensitivity to change" than other potential sites.

They also recently commissioned a report from conservation consultants RPS who recommended a considerable increase in the size of Blockley’s Conservation Area, including Little Shoe Broad and the houses and walls bordering it.

Katharine and Gareth Lewis

Blockley