Moreton Against Over Development is a resident-led non-political group campaigning against the Cotswold District Council and its disproportionate and unreasonable overdevelopment plans for Moreton in Marsh.

  • In 2024, a Cotswold District Council consultation identified Moreton in Marsh, a small town in the North Cotswolds, as a potential site for ‘strategic growth’ of over 1,500 new homes.
  • This is in addition an ‘indicative’ 310 new homes on the Fire Service College, and 250 currently being built in the south of the town
  • Moreton‘s population grew more than 40% from 2011-2021 according to Census data – this growth far outstrips national averages and that of many other Cotswolds towns, some much larger and better equipped to handle such astonishing growth.

In June 2024 over 1,300 residents voted in a poll on the District Council plans with 96% voting no.

In February 2025, Cotswold District Council revealed that the Government had increased the mandatory housing target for the district to 15,000 homes. CDCs Local Plan update has Moreton pencilled in to take around 42% of the housing for the entire district, which could leave Moreton taking roughly an extra 6,300 homes up to 2046. This would more than double the town‘s size in just 19 years, when it has already nearly doubled in the last 20.

  • Moreton‘s population is just 5% of the whole district, it simply is not equipped to handle growth on this scale, alternatives exist yet they have not been explored by CDC.
  • The Council says ‘nothing is decided’ yet it is not consulting on large-scale housing development anywhere else in the district.
  • Moreton in Marsh has numerous existing infrastructure issues that need to be addressed – the Council has made no commitment to fix these issues if any new development goes ahead.
  • Many local people want affordable homes, yet 2 bedroom ‘starter homes’ on some of the new developments are priced at £400,000. Even with a 20% ‘affordability’ discount, this is still well out of reach for many.

Moreton Against Over Development, an unincorporated association, is campaigning for the over development plans to be dropped, and a fairer and more equitable plan put forward.