South Midlands August Update

Chelgate Local operates in three regions. South Midlands covers Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire. To view our South Midlands team and projects, please see our Midlands page. To discuss upcoming projects in the region, please call Guy Orton, Senior Account Executive, on 020 7939 7950 or email.

Buckinghamshire 

August was a quiet month with no major planning application decisions in Buckinghamshire. 

There were no defections, new vacancies or by-election dates announced in Buckinghamshire during the month. 

Northamptonshire 

August was also quiet for major planning applications in North Northamptonshire, while West Northamptonshire Strategic Planning Committee mat on 18 August and considered several major schemes: an outline application for up to 450 homes on land northeast of Brackley Grange Cottages, Halse Road, Brackley was approved, and members also approved a reserved matters application for 169 homes at Dallington Grange, Kingsthorpe. A reserved matters application for 35 homes on land at Overstone Lane, Overstone, was also approved, and an application for 128 homes at Towcester Vale, Towcester was similarly approved. 

There were no defections, new vacancies or by-election dates announced in Northamptonshire during August. 

West Northamptonshire Council’s Planning Policy Committee heard that the authority had identified a 4.3 year housing land supply as of April 2026 – down from the 5.5 years which was predicted in 2025. The council is therefore unable to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply. 

Warwickshire 

Rugby Borough Council 

Rugby Planning Committee met on 5 August and considered no major planning applications.  

There were no defections, new vacancies or by-election dates announced in Rugby during June. 

Rugby’s political group leaders have written jointly to the Government supporting its decision to create two new unitary councils in Warwickshire, with Rugby set to be grouped with North Warwickshire and Nuneaton and Bedworth. While the groups previously held different views on local government reorganisation, they have agreed to work together to protect Rugby’s interests, calling for a strong local voice, fair representation, sustainable funding, and meaningful local decision-making, including the creation of a Rugby Town Council. 

Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council 

In Nuneaton, the Planning Applications Committee did not meet in August with the next meeting scheduled for 22 September.  

There were no defections or local by-elections announced during the month. 

Cambridgeshire

Cambridge City Council 

Cambridge City Council’s Joint Development Management Committee met on 19 August and approved the reserved matters application for the appearance, layout and scale for 425 homes and flexible commercial floorspace at land north of Cambridge North Station. The Planning Committee did not meet in August, with the next meeting scheduled for 2 September. 

There were no defections or local by-elections announced during the month. 

East Cambridgeshire District Council 

East Cambridgeshire District Council’s Planning Committee met on 5 August and approved the major application for 60 homes at Millstone Park (phase 6) in Newmarket.  

There were no defections or local by-elections announced during the month. 

South Cambridgeshire District Council  

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Planning Committee met on 12 August and approved number of applications including a 49.99MW solar farm at land off Low Fen in Horningsea and an application for 58 residential living apartments in Cambourne. 

There were no defections or local by-elections announced during the month. 

Huntingdonshire District Council  

In Huntingdonshire, the Development Management Committee met on 17 August and considered no major planning applications.  

Huntingdonshire District Council has been left without a majority after two Green councillors quit the Liberal Democrat-led coalition, citing a loss of confidence in the administration. Cllrs Lara Davenport-Ray and Stephen Ferguson said their concerns included the handling of town centre regeneration proposals, particularly plans shared by developers to build homes on council-owned car parks in St Neots, St Ives and Huntingdon, which they argue go beyond what cabinet originally agreed. 

Peterborough City Council 

Peterborough City Council’s Planning and Environmental Protection Committee did not meeting August, with the next meeting scheduled for 1 September. 

The Fletton and Woodston by-election has now been confirmed for Thursday 16 July. The by-election follows the resignation of Daisy Blakemore-Creedon in May. Ms Blakemore-Creedon had been sitting as an independent councillor when she resigned, having originally been elected for Labour in 2024. All candidates have now been confirmed for the vote. 

Cambridge Local Government Reform news 

Two Liberal Democrat MPs have urged the Government not to proceed with “Option D” for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough local government reorganisation, warning it would be a flawed approach with limited public support. The option would split the area into three unitary authorities, but the MPs argue that if ministers cannot identify a model clearly in the interests of local people, retaining the current system would be preferable to creating financially weak or poorly aligned councils. 

Oxfordshire

Cherwell District Council 

Cherwell District Council’s Planning Committee meeting for 13 August was cancelled; the next meeting is scheduled for 3 September.  

There was no election updates announced in Cherwell during the month. 

South Oxfordshire District Council 

South Oxfordshire District Council’s Planning Committee met on 17 June, with one major housing application approved for 16 homes at Pennyhill, Harpsden. 

There were also no defections, vacancies or by-election updates announced during August.  

West Oxfordshire District Council 

West Oxfordshire District Council’s Development Management Sub-committee meeting on 10 August to discuss a number of applications including an outline application for up to 80 homes on land off Common Road, North Leigh. The application was recommended for approval but the application was refused amid fears of an Iron Age monument and concerns the proposal was “not proportionate or appropriate”. The next meeting on 14 August has been cancelled, and the next meeting is scheduled for 7 September. 

There were no defections, vacancies or by-election updates announced during August.  

Vale of White Horse District Council 

Vale of White Horse District Council’s Planning Committee meeting on 19 August was cancelled. 

No councillor or election updates.  

Bedfordshire

Bedford Borough Council 

Bedford Borough Council’s Planning Committee met on 10 August but no major residential applications were discussed. 

There were no election updates announced in Bedford during June. 

Central Bedfordshire Council 

In August, the development management committee met on 26 August and discussed a minor solar farm (7MW) application with battery energy storage at land north A603 in Sandy, which was approved. Plus, they discussed an outline application for the for demolition of existing dwelling and erection of up to 17 dwellings and off Station Road, Langford. The application was also approved  

There were no election updates announced in Central Bedfordshire during June. 

Luton Council 

Luton Council’s Development Management Committee did not meet in August with their next meeting scheduled for 23 September.  

Cllr David Franks, who was elected for the Liberal Democrats in Barnfield ward, has left the party over its nomination of a Reform UK councillor for a committee post.