Land To The South West Of Bath Road Eastington Gloucestershire

1. 1.The proposal constitutes new residential development approximately 350 metres outside the defined settlement development limits of Eastington, within the open countryside for the purposes of the Stroud District Local Plan. The development does not fall within any of the exception categories listed in Core Policy CP15, nor does it constitute an affordable housing exception scheme under Policy HC4. The proposal therefore represents unjustified residential development in the open countryside and conflicts with Policies CP2, CP3, CP15, HC1 and HC4 of the Stroud District Local Plan (2015).
2. 2.By reason of its scale, density, height, layout and suburban form, the proposed development fails to reflect the established settlement pattern and rural character along this part and side of Bath Road, which is defined by sporadic low density ribbon development and a clear transition from open countryside to the built edge of Eastington. The scheme introduces an uncharacteristically dense and urbanising estate extending further into open countryside than any development on this side of Bath Road. The layout is car dominated, lacks hierarchy or legibility, presents an engineered edge with exposed turning heads, and incorporates boundary treatments and unit orientations that are discordant with the prevailing rural grain. The proposal would also create a harsh and visually intrusive settlement edge, eroding the countryside to village transition, undermining the local landscape pattern and resulting in an incongruous urbanising feature in views from Bath Road, PROW routes and the wider landscape. The development therefore fails to achieve high quality design, good placemaking or the conservation of landscape character, contrary to Policies CP14 (5,9), HC1, ES7 and ES12 of the Stroud District Local Plan (2015), Policies EP1-EP3 of the Eastington Neighbourhood Development Plan, and Chapter 12 of the National Planning Policy Framework.
3. 3.The affordable housing is inadequately integrated within the scheme. It would be visually and functionally distinguishable from the market units due to its clustered arrangement, courtyard parking layout and lower design quality, resulting in a form of development that appears segregated from the remainder of the site.

From the council's decision notice.

Date validated

21 November 2025