PLANS for thousands of homes in Cirencester were criticised at a consultation event at Cotswold District Council’s (CDC) offices today.

The consultation allowed residents to study policies the council wishes to include in its Local Plan document, which sets out future development in the district until 2031.

If adopted, the policies, including housing economy and infrastructure, will become the basis for planning applications.

Many residents told the Standard that if proposals for 2,350 homes in Chesterton, which are included in the emerging plan, went ahead, then the town’s infrastructure could not cope.

Chesterton resident Ron Nailer said the number of homes was too high and would create traffic congestion. He said: “We are actually thinking of moving because we don’t want to see our Cirencester degraded.”

Mr Nailer explained that he thought that a “dangerous junction” on Chesterton Lane at Somerford Road would become worse if the development went ahead. “With all the cars that are going to come down that road it is going to become very dangerous,” he said.

Richard Edward of Duntisbourne said that because plans for the A417 Missing Link scheme, to ease congestion around the Air Balloon roundabout, is still some way off, local roads could not cope with more cars. He said: “The road scheme is just a nightmare.”

Mr Edward also believes that the new development would not fit in with the heritage and character of the area. “If it is anything like Kingshill Meadow it will be an eyesore,” he said.

Forward Planning manager for CDC Chris Vickery, was on-hand to speak to residents and said traffic concerns were being investigated. “An assessment is being carried out and that will flag up any issues that need to be addressed,” he said.

He explained that the council has listened to all objections and will be addressing concerns during the next stage of consultation in spring 2016. “If we are convinced with the evidence and reasoning that people present to us it will get our serious consideration, ” he said.

Save Our Cirencester, a group opposed to the Chesterton development staged a protest outside the consultation.

Meanwhile, architects John Thompson & Partners will be holding its own consultation into its designs for the Chesterton site at the Bingham House Gallery, Cirencester, on Friday from 3pm and 8pm and Saturday between 10am and 2pm.