ANOTHER week, another care home. That’s how it can sometimes feel as retirement complexes spring up all over the Cotswolds.

The district already has a population older than the rest of the country on average, so many argue these developments are gaining favour because there is a real demand.

On the other hand, residents in some towns are becoming worried that they are turning into “geriatric dormitories”, as Stow’s district councillor said at a planning meeting.

The Stratton Place development, passed at the same meeting, will join a McCarthy and Stone complex next to St James’ Place and retirement homes in Somerford Road. Those are just the ones in Cirencester.

As people age and more people think about moving for their retirement, we are going to see a demographic shift that will make some of these developments seem like sensible planning.

But that will be small comfort to those who worry the character of the town is being irrevocably changed, especially with the loss of the once-noble Stratton Place, which some councillors suggested had been left to degrade on purpose to give developers a reason to demolish it.

Perhaps this feels inconsequential to those fighting the Chesterton development. They would trade any number of care homes to keep the leafy fields next to their houses development free.