A major housing developer has put forward plans to build 135 homes on fields neighbouring King Charles III’s beloved Highgrove estate.
Miller Homes is targeting land between Bath Road and Longfurlong Lane on the outskirts of Tetbury, Gloucestershire, prompting residents to raise alarm over potential threats to the monarch’s privacy and security.
The privately owned fields sit within the Cotswold National Landscape and serve as a priority conservation habitat, with some hedgerows reportedly planted by the monarch himself.
Local campaigners have accused the developer of seeking to profit from the royal connection, while the Longfurlong Greenfields Association has also voiced their concerns.
Chris Giles, secretary of the Longfurlong Greenfields Association and a former community spaces manager at South Gloucestershire Council, warned the development poses a grave threat to royal protection arrangements.
“Development on this site also creates a serious security issue for the royal household,” he stated. “It would bring significant numbers of people living within yards of the existing close protection zone covered by Section 128 of the Serious Organised Crime & Police Act 2005, which is patrolled by armed officers.”
Peter Martin, the association’s chairman, noted the high-security perimeter lies approximately 150 metres from the proposed building site.
He expressed concern armed protection officers would be reluctant to see dogs roaming freely or children playing in such close proximity to the secure zone.
A major housing developer has put forward plans to build 135 homes on fields neighbouring King Charles III’s beloved Highgrove
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Mr Martin, a former district councillor, established the residents’ group in February and has seen remarkable community support with more than 100 people joining within a single day.
“The proposal is very crude. I call it carpet-bombing,” he said. “They identify fields and carpet-bomb them with housing.”
“They just see a plot of land on a map and think about ‘How many houses can we cram in there?’ It is so disrespectful to the town, the community and the land with all its wildlife and nature.”
The fields have been characterised as a haven for nature enthusiasts, forming an important heritage setting on the southern approach to the historic market town.
Miller Homes is targeting land between Bath Road and Longfurlong Lane on the outskirts of Tetbury, Gloucestershire
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Laura Hall-Wilson, the Conservative councillor representing Tetbury with Upton on Cotswold District Council, has condemned what she views as opportunistic behaviour by the developer.
“It does feel like cynical form from the developer to try and build all these homes right next to Highgrove,” she said. “Then they can try and whack a premium on them and market the benefit of being the king’s next-door neighbour.”
The councillor added the scheme would face overwhelming rejection from the community.
“Without question, they are pressing ahead. It is extremely unpopular in the village; I would say it is unanimously unpopular in Tetbury. I’ve not spoken to anyone in favour,” she stated.
Mrs Hall-Wilson emphasised the land has been consistently excluded from Tetbury’s development framework and remains outside the designated housing boundary.
Miller Homes has maintained discussions with local representatives have been constructive.
“Proposals for new, sustainable housing in this part of Gloucestershire have already included positive communication with local councillors, and we will share further information on plans for this land, to engage with the community, in the near future,” a company spokesman said.
The proposal comes as Tetbury grapples with significant strain on local services following rapid expansion.
Mr Martin pointed out the town has seen more than a thousand new dwellings over the past six years, representing a near 40 per cent increase in housing stock.
Residents already contend with severe parking difficulties and lengthy waits for medical appointments, he added.
Highgrove Estate and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have been contacted for comment.