DEVELOPERS hoping to build on land at Blockley have said the village would lose out on an injection of at least £170,000 into the local community if the application for 33 new homes falls through.

CALA Homes has submitted an outline planning application for a development of up to 33 homes including 16 affordable properties and a play area on land off Draycott Road in Blockley.

Within its draft Local Plan for the entire district, Cotswold District Council has proposed that the village of Blockley should accommodate 52 additional homes between 2011 and 2031 to meet local demand.

Last week the Journal highlighted the anger Blockley Environmental Action Group, headed by musician Matt Black, felt towards the proposals

Steve Hird, managing director of CALA Homes Midlands, said: “We have proposed a scheme which will make best use of and identified by Cotswold District Council as suitable for residential development, within a village which the council itself has determined should accommodate new homes. It would not only help to reach the council’s number of required new homes, but deliver significant benefits for local people too.”

CALA states the development would deliver more than £229,000 towards the local authority over a six year period under the New Homes Bonus. The developer would also contribute more than £150,000 towards the local community through a Section 106 legal agreement, which would be used to improve local services and facilities such as education and highways, together with £20,000 to fund a new all-weather pitch at the Chipping Camden Academy. Mr Hird said it is “unlikely” that these contributions would be available if the housing demand that has been identified by the council was met by lots of smaller developments.

CALA’s proposed development also includes 16 affordable homes which would be made available exclusively for local people in Blockley for an initial period of six months.

Mr Hird added: “CALA Homes has a long history of developing in village locations and is committed to consulting with the local community. We held a public consultation event back in October 2014, which was an opportunity for local people and the parish council to view our proposals in more detail and leave their feedback.”

Local campaigners feel building on that land would damage the conservation area which is home to an abundance of wildlife but is also prone to flooding.

An outline planning application was submitted in March and is expected to be determined around mid-July.