TWO applications for more than 100 homes in the same Cam road have been permitted despite warnings it could have repercussions across the district.

Stroud District Council’s planning committee debated the two applications - one for 90 homes and one for 36 - in Box Road at its Tuesday meeting.

After a long debate, it took the chairman’s casting vote for decisions to grant permission for both applications to be made.

Cam Parish Council’s chairman Brian Whatling and district councillors Jessica Tomblin, Paul Denney and Brian Tipper all spoke ahead of the decisions urging the committee not to support the plans.

Concerns were raised before and during the meeting about the precedent allowing the two developments - which are outside of Cam’s designated settlement boundary - could set.

Cllr Denney said: “Allowing these plans to go ahead would set a dangerous precedent.

“This would almost certainly lead to a proliferation of development across the district.

“We are proposing to roll over and have our bellies tickled.”

Box Road residents have also raised fears over how traffic would cope with the new development but Gloucestershire County Council officers felt that proposed mitigation work at the A38/A4135 roundabout would mean roads would be within capacity.

In a report produced for the committee, planning officers recommended that both applications be approved due to the 450-home development on the other side of Box Road which was approved in 2016.

That site is also outside of Cam’s designated settlement boundary but was allocated in the district council’s Local Plan as an area for development.

Planning officer Ceri Porter said that while a proposal to develop outside a settlement boundary would usually be refused, this site had “unique characteristics”which would warrant permission being granted.

Committee chairman Cllr Tom Williams used his casting vote to allow motions granting approval for both applications after committee members could not reach a majority vote either way.