Council Withdraws from Moreton-in-Marsh Housing Appeal

Cotswold District Council has withdrawn from a public inquiry into a proposed 195-home development in Moreton-in-Marsh. The inquiry had been scheduled to begin the following week.

Why the Council withdrew

The Council had previously refused the planning application on sustainability grounds. However, Council leadership concluded that defending the refusal had become futile due to shifts in national planning policy.

Director Helen Martin stated that “the Council’s ability to robustly defend the refusal at appeal has been significantly diminished.”

Several recent policy changes have tilted the balance in favour of developers:

• A strong presumption favouring housing near railway stations (Moreton has a mainline station)
• Higher thresholds for councils to justify refusals
• Increased housing targets for the district
• The “tilted balance” now favours development when housing benefits can be demonstrated

The “impossible choice”

Council leader Mike Evemy described an “impossible choice” facing the Council: concede developments that may not be right for communities, or spend significant public funds on appeals that are increasingly unwinnable.

“This is about a planning system that is now deliberately set up to favour housing development, almost regardless of local concerns,” Evemy said.

Why this matters

This case illustrates exactly why getting an adopted Local Plan in place is urgent. Without one, the Council has limited grounds to refuse applications - even in locations where development may be premature or unsustainable.

The Local Plan, once adopted, will provide the policy framework to direct development to the right locations with the right infrastructure. Until then, the district remains vulnerable to speculative applications.

The Full Council will consider the next draft of the Local Plan on 12 August 2026, with the Reg 19 consultation expected to follow in the week of 24 August.

Sources

• Council news release