Sign the petition: Mickleton and the growing impact of housing targets

Mickleton Against Inappropriate Development (MAID) is a local community group formed in response to the growing number of speculative planning applications affecting the village of Mickleton.

Concerned that current housing targets are placing unsustainable pressure on rural communities, MAID has launched a nationwide petition calling on the Government to pause these targets and properly consult with local people.

As CPRE supporters, you will be well aware of the Government’s target to build 1.5 million homes during this parliamentary term. We recognise the need for more homes and are actively calling for more genuinely affordable homes in rural areas. But the imposition of high housing targets is causing significant problems for many local authorities and is unlikely in itself to lead to more housing being provided that meets genuine local needs.

This is especially true in Cotswold District, which has been allocated a new housing requirement of 1,036 homes per year, more than double the 420 homes per year set out in the current local plan. This huge increase has left the district highly vulnerable to speculative applications.

As so much of the District lies within the protected Cotswolds National Landscape, only a small percentage of land is potentially available for development.

Mickleton, a village in the North Cotswolds, has been particularly inundated with speculative planning applications. A very active local group, Mickleton Against Inappropriate Development (MAID), has created a petition calling on government to pause these targets and consult with local communities.

The petition is phrased so as to apply nationwide and we therefore feel it appropriate to offer our members the opportunity to sign the petition individually. At least 10,000 signatures are required to trigger a government response, so the more individual signatures the better.

Sign the petition

CPRE is also working nationally with government on this issue but this petition gives those of us who deeply value the countryside, a means of voicing our deep concerns and an opportunity to demonstrate the depth and breadth of public opinion.