Proud to support Sara Cox and BBC Children in Need
We are proud to be one of the many supporting Sara Cox on her 135-mile run for Children in Need. Run Sara runnnnn!!
Why AI can’t replace us as Planners
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Do you have land you want to develop in the Cotswold District?🏡
Cotswold District Council (CDC) has reached a key stage in its Local Plan Review, publishing the ‘Preferred Options’ document as part of the Regulation 18 Consultation stage.
The document outlines CDC’s proposed spatial strategy to accommodate a significantly higher housing requirement of 18,650 new homes across the district over the plan period 2026–2043, which reflects the Government’s drive to boost national housing delivery.
As such, CDC has launched a ‘Call for Sites’. This Call For Sites process invites landowners, developers and other interested parties to put forward land for consideration in meeting a wide range of future development needs.
Submissions are invited for:
• Market and affordable housing
• Employment and commercial uses
• Gypsy and traveller pitches
• Renewable energy projects
• New country parks
• Other types of development identified in the Local Plan
Those who have previously submitted land are encouraged to reconfirm site availability and provide updated delivery information where relevant.
At Brodie Planning Associates, we have worked across the Cotswolds for many years, giving us a strong understanding of the area’s unique planning challenges and opportunities. We will be commenting as a practice on the Regulation 18 Preferred Options and supporting individual landowners to put their sites forward.
The Regulation 18 consultation will be open for six weeks from Wednesday 5 November 2025 until midnight on Thursday 18 December 2025.
To discuss your site or explore how we can support you, please contact mail@brodieplanning.co.uk or telephone 01242898368 and we would be pleased to assist you.
Further information can be found at : Annex A Cotswold District Council Local Plan Review Regulation 18 Consultation Preferred Options.pdf
Del Mel Estate Agents new HQ in Winchcombe – Planning permission & Listed Building Consent GRANTED – supporting local business and the vitality of our towns
Introducing De Mel Estate Agent’s new Winchcombe HQ – Planning and Listed Building Consent approved to reinstate the locally important historical building known as Winchcombe Cross as two commercial (Class E) planning units at ground and lower ground floors, including new signage to 1 North Street and 10 High Street. This was an extremely rewarding project for us, as local planning consultants, to support and facilitate bringing this building back into an appropriate use (previously vacant for a considerable period), and moreover, for our local business to support another local business.
Councillors ‘Shocked’ by Facts: The Politics of Planning
CDC_Committee_10_September_2025
At yesterday’s planning committee, our reminder of councillors’ duty to deliver on housing targets was branded “shocking.” The key consideration was the impact on the National Landscape, and we simply reminded members of the balance to be struck in light of their lack of housing land supply.
Councillors themselves have written to the Government highlighting that changes to the standard method have left them without a five-year housing land supply and exposed taxpayers to costly appeal losses. At committee, we pointed out the obvious solution: if Members approve sustainable housing development, members can avoid wasting public funds defending indefensible refusals. That statement of fact appeared to shock members.
We fully appreciate that landscape impact is, to a degree, a subjective matter. However, the recommendation for refusal in this case appears to fly in the face of both the council’s own published evidence and the findings of an independent appeal inspector. Coupled with the very real need to provide housing, to disregard these established conclusions risks undermining the credibility of the decision-making process.
Planning is not a political game. It must be objective, evidence-led, consistent and in line with national planning policy. Reminding councillors of their obligations and evidence to weigh into the planning balance — and highlighting the cost to the taxpayer of ignoring them — is a professional responsibility. What is shocking about that?
Please see link to the livestream of CDC Planning and Licensing Committee meeting (10/09/2025).
Agricultural Occupancy Condition successfully lifted from a property in Badsey
Planning permission ha s been secured for the removal of an Agricultural Occupancy Condition on a property in Badsey, to allow for its use as an unrestricted Class C3 dwelling.
We successfully demonstrated that the condition was no longer necessary and that the dwelling would, in any case, be acceptable under current local and national planning policy, whilst also contributing to the Council’s open-market housing land supply. Wychavon District Council agreed, concluding that the condition was no longer precise nor reasonable, and it placed an unnecessary burden on both current and future occupiers without serving a specific planning purpose.
Agricultural Occupancy Conditions (commonly referred to as Ag Ties or Ag Tags) have been applied to rural properties since 1948. These conditions are intended to support the agricultural industry by allowing essential workers to live on-site where planning permission would not otherwise have been granted.
However, Agricultural Occupancy Conditions can significantly impact property value, often reducing market prices by up to 30%. While anyone can purchase a property subject to an AOC, only those meeting the occupancy requirements can lawfully reside there.
As such, lifting an Agricultural Occupancy Condition can substantially increase a property’s value. The removal of such a condition would also open access to a wider pool of buyers, simplifies financing, and maximises the potential of both the property and land.
If you own a property which is subject to an Agricultural Occupancy Condition and would like to explore your options, please contact us at mail@brodieplanning.co.uk or call us on 01242 898368. We would be delighted to hear from you.