The recent approval of a 30-home development in the Gloucestershire village of Willersey has sparked an intense debate over the intersection of housing targets and infrastructure capacity. On Monday, 16th February 2026, Cotswold District Council’s planning committee granted outline permission for the scheme on land north of Folly View, despite a decade-long history of severe drainage failures in the area.
The infrastructure conflict
The primary objection from residents and local councillors centres on an "unfit for purpose" sewage network. During recent heavy rainfall, the system has demonstrably failed; villagers reported being unable to use their toilets for up to 48 hours at a time as the network backed up.
Local testimony revealed that Severn Trent Water has frequently had to deploy road tankers and temporary 5,000-gallon holding tanks to prevent the Badsey Lane Pumping Station from being overwhelmed. Most alarming was the report from District Councillor Tom Stowe, who noted that internal pressure in the system has previously been high enough to blow a 25kg manhole cover clear off a highway - a significant safety risk that highlights the hydraulic stresses currently facing the village's infrastructure.
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The planning decision
The developer, Eagle One Homes, secured permission for 30 dwellings (reduced from an initial proposal of 50), along with public open space and a Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS). The developer’s representative, Ed Leeson, argued that the site is a "modest edge of settlement" extension and emphasised that the proposals had been subject to detailed engagement with the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) and Severn Trent Water.
Despite the documented failures - including "foul water a foot deep" in local roads during storm events - the scheme was approved, as statutory consultees did not provide a formal objection that would legally block the development.
Implications for the sector
The Willersey decision raises critical questions for the flood industry:
- The burden of proof: If a system is "demonstrably unfit" but a water company provides no formal objection, the planning committee's hands are often tied.
- SuDS efficacy: The success of this development will rest heavily on its internal SuDS. However, as many experts argue, on-site attenuation does nothing to solve the downstream capacity issues of a combined or failing sewer network.
- Conditionality: The committee has indicated that the "strongest conditions" will be imposed to ensure necessary upgrades are delivered, but the industry remains watchful of whether these can be enforced before the new homes are occupied.
[Main image credit: Andrew Roland / shutterstock.com]