New homes rejected over concern for listed church

Plans to build between one and seven homes in rural Gloucestershire have been rejected due to concerns over the impact on a historic village church.

Centaur Homes’ scheme to develop 1.6 hectares of land at Bozard Lane in Tredington was refused permission by Tewkesbury Borough Council's planning committee on Tuesday.

Concerns were raised over the potential impact on the nearby Grade I listed St John the Baptist Church by the council’s conservation officer and Historic England.

Several Grade II listed headstones and monuments stand inside the churchyard, including a 14th Century stone cross.

In response to concerns about the potential impact on the church, councillor Mel Gore suggested this could be dealt with at the design stage.

The plans included 40% affordable housing and Richard Chatham, who also spoke in favour of the proposals, said this was needed in Tredington.

Councillor Robert Vines said villages such as Tredington should not “be left to die”.

Meanwhile, councillor Matt Dimond-Brown made clear he was in favour of affordable housing but said it should be in a “genuinely sustainable” location.

He proposed following the officer’s recommendation to refuse the scheme due to it going against the council’s settlement strategy and the unacceptable impact and unjustifiable harm to the church.

His proposal was seconded by vice chairman Sarah Hands and councillors voted to reject the scheme by eight votes to four.