King Charles’ peace at Highgrove ‘under threat’ from controversial new plans

King Charles’ peace and tranquillity at Highgrove House in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, is under threat due to a proposed housing development, with residents expressing their concern over potential security issues.

The locals of Tetbury have lost a bid to turn the fields near Charles’ estate into a public space in order to block the housing development from being approved, despite the fields being hailed as a paradise where the king himself once planted hedges.

Locals fighting back

The Longfurlong Greenfields Association wanted to preserve the fields between Bath Road and Longfurlong Lane, rather than let developers build 135 new homes on the pristine land.

The association said that the developers would hike up the prices for the premium of living near the king, destroying the environment in the process. As such, the residents proposed their own development of a public space to protect a “beautiful piece of landscape for the benefit of all persons who want to continue to enjoy a piece of the Cotswolds,” as local Steve Keitley said at a council meeting.

© Getty Images

“The application would protect and preserve the landscape, views and open countryside within the Cotswold National Landscape,” he explained. “The proposal would prevent future development, protect the area for future generations and accord with planning policies relating to nature and the countryside.”

The Cotswolds District Council rejected their proposal due to a lack of information about long-term management, maintenance and funding, and despite many of the residents supporting the idea. 

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Development fears

Councillor Laura Hall-Wilson shared her fears for the King if the development were to go ahead.

“I am not saying the King should have any say over land use above that of a normal citizen. But it is very close to Highgrove, and the people of Tetbury give him peace wherever he goes,” she explained. “I am sure he enjoys the tranquillity of the fields and the surroundings.

“People here are very respectful of that, and they are generally royalists and like the King. He has been very supportive of the town, and I think the relationship is good. Everyone is very respectful of their privacy.”

She shared: “It does feel like cynical form from the developer to try and build all these homes right next to Highgrove. Then they can try and whack a premium on them and market the benefit of being the king’s next door neighbour.”

© In Pictures via Getty Images

Peter Martin, chairman of the Longfurlong Greenfields Association, added to The Telegraph that the community wanted to protect Charles’ privacy from the inevitable security concerns of a housing development on the border of his lands.

“He would do things at the local primary school, go out tree-planting and helped to acquire the old railway shed for the town,” Peter said. “But the town is very protective of him and his privacy. We know he comes here to do the same things as us in the fields, to relax and let nature take over.”

© Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision

“He comes down here to forget about the problems in London. For us, as a community, we absolutely guard his privacy,” he shared. Miller Homes, which is proposing the development, shared in a statement that they have had “positive communication” with councillors on the issue.

“Proposals for new, sustainable housing in this part of Gloucestershire have already included positive communication with local councillors, and we will share further information on plans for this land to engage with the community in the near future.”

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