Cotswold District is a large rural district located close to Bristol/Gloucester

One of the key issues raised by the construction phase of housing projects is the extent to which main contractors and sub contractors bring in labour from outside the region or attempt to recruit labour locally. Normally this is a combination of the two, with imported labour usually consisting of workers with specialist skills, and local recruitment usually consisting of unskilled and semi-skilled workers. Given that nearly 25,000 people are employed in the construction sector in Gloucestershire alone, it is considered unlikely that the number of workers required for the proposed development, whatever level of skill is needed, would place pressure on the construction labour market.

Research by Gloucestershire County Council shows the great extent to which the local economy (and employment) depends on tourism. The District’s considerable natural attractions are concentrated in the Cotswolds where there extensive opportunities for informal recreation such as walking. It is considered highly unlikely that the proposed development will have any discernible impact on other visitor attractions in the area such as the historic Town Centre of Tetbury and Westonbirt Arboretum.

There is only one public right of way which would be directly affected by the proposed development. The nature of the existing rights of way in the area, and the condition of the environment through which they pass, suggest that the proposed development is likely to have a negligible impact on their current low levels of use.