Plans by Corpus Christi College to build a home in a Cotswold village have been criticised by dozens of local residents. The College has applied for permission to construct a two-storeyed barn at the site of The Saddlery, a stables in Kineton in southwestern Warwickshire.
The plans include timber doors and glazing that will be set partly on the existing footprint of the building. However, despite plans for the new structure to have an “agricultural character”, locals have expressed fears regarding its effect on the pastoral area.
In particular, Temple Guiting Parish Council stated in a consultee comment on the plans: “[T]he proposed house has an overbearing presence, out of proportion to the site and the other houses in the hamlet.” On plans to create a small pond outside the property, the Council added: “[T]he location would not allow wildlife to survive as it would be in the shade and very close to the house.”
27 separate objections have been made to the plans on the Cotswold District Council website. One commenter said: “It is no small fact that the land has been rented by the same family for nearly 40 years and it is without a doubt a benefit to the village of Kineton.” Another concurred: “While we appreciate the need for housing generally, there are many other sites more suitable in the surrounding area that don’t involve losing this important asset in our community.”
Villagers also claim that the stables have served as a community centre for locals who keep their horses there, and that many first learnt to ride horses whilst visiting them. They note also that schoolchildren from both Cheltenham and Gloucester with intellectual disabilities and special educational needs have come to The Saddlery over the years to visit its ponies, ducks and chickens.
Some have also contended that the land in question could be put to better use if it were converted into new affordable housing.
The officers of the Cotswolds District Council have nonetheless recommended that scheme be approved. They claim that the proposal conforms with local and national policies and that it would not damage protected areas of land or negatively impact the region as a whole.
