Update: National Trust Sherborne Brook Restoration

22 November 2025 update

The Parish Council’s (PC) objection document is complete, along with five supporting Appendices, and has been published by Cotswold District Council (CDC) (District Council Consultation). The documents are also attached below.

A big thank you to everyone who contributed with their ideas, written content, historical images, and financial contributions towards the Hydrological Review (Appendix 2). We now wait to see what the NT and CDC decide to do next.

As of yesterday evening (21st) there were 51 objections in addition to the PC’s submission. Included within the PC’s main objection document, there is a summary of all 51 objections which makes interesting reading. It is also repeated below.

Application Reference: 25/02583/FUL.

Proposal: Wetland enhancement works upstream of Sherborne Broadwater to reconnect river with floodplain, manage silt, preserve open water, improve biodiversity, and mitigate flood risk.

 The overwhelming sentiment expressed by Sherborne residents, local stakeholders, and other objectors to the National Trust’s planning application for the creation of a wetland adjacent to the Sherborne Broadwaters and the Grade II registered parkland is one of strong opposition. The following summary of key themes and arguments are consistently raised across the detailed objections:

 Heritage and Landscape Impact:

• The Broadwater and parkland are cited as significant 18th-century designed landscapes, integral to Sherborne’s identity and village character, and protected by multiple local and national planning policies.
• Objectors argue the proposed wetland scheme would irreversibly alter and damage the historic open water landscape, changing it from cherished once open water to marsh or swamp, undermining its aesthetic, cultural, and ecological value.
• Many references are made to the NT’s neglect since acquiring the estate, with former maintenance such as periodic clearing abandoned, resulting in silted and overgrown waters.
• The NT is accused of failing to appreciate or thoroughly research the area’s true historical significance, with assertions that the Broadwater’s origins are earlier than suggested in the application, and that the heritage assessments lack rigour and consultation with relevant experts or statutory bodies.

 Ecological and Environmental Concerns:

• The ecological surveys underpinning the proposal are described as outdated, incomplete, or seasonally inadequate, with no robust evidence that the scheme will achieve the promised biodiversity uplift.
• Claims of increased biodiversity and habitat improvement are challenged, both on the grounds of insufficient evidence and because the loss of open water is believed to be detrimental to existing species, especially waterfowl.
• Objectors stress that existing water meadows and wetland features within the estate, which could be restored or extended, are more suitable for such interventions.

 Flood Risk and Technical Flaws:

• Significant doubts are raised regarding the technical soundness of the Flood Risk Assessment, with claims that recent changes to the site (e.g., fallen trees, silt management upstream) render modelled scenarios obsolete.
• There are concerns that the proposed scheme could increase flood risk to properties and land adjacent to the Brook, and that key legal infrastructure (e.g., water supply easements) have been ignored.
• Many objectors point out that the main sources of silt (road runoff and upstream sources) have recently been addressed or could be managed more effectively and cheaply through traditional interventions such as ditch and gully maintenance, without altering the historic landscape.

 Lack of Consultation and Procedural Failures

• Numerous objections highlight insufficient community involvement, with the planning process described as a fait accompli rather than a genuine consultation. Promised sharing of key documents (like the Conservation Management Plan) and meaningful engagement with statutory consultees and local heritage organisations has not occurred.
• Key appendices and technical documents referenced in the application are missing, and local knowledge, including community-commissioned heritage statements, has been disregarded.

 Financial and Management Concerns:

• The scheme is widely criticised as an expensive experiment (with an estimated cost of £200,000) without a clear maintenance or management plan, and no defined or measurable criteria for success.
• Objectors fear the NT lacks the funds, commitment, or track record to ensure the long-term stewardship of the site, referencing previous failures (such as the water meadows project) where restored features were subsequently neglected.

 Policy Non-Compliance:

• It is repeatedly asserted that the proposals conflict with multiple local plan policies (EN1, EN4, EN5, EN10, EN11) and the National Planning Policy Framework, all of which require the conservation and enhancement of heritage and landscape assets, and the prevention of harm to designated historic environments.

 Suggested Alternatives and Conclusion:

• Objectors broadly support environmental enhancement in principle but urge that the NT should prioritise restoring and maintaining the Broadwater and its landscape to its historic open water state, using traditional management (dredging, silt traps, proper drainage).
• There is a call for collaborative, evidence-based approaches involving local expertise, and for any future proposals to be rooted in robust data, with transparency and genuine consultation.
• Many recommend that the Council refuse or defer the current application until a comprehensive heritage and hydrological assessment, clear management plan, and meaningful community engagement are undertaken.

 In summary, the objections reflect deep concern for the heritage, landscape, and community of Sherborne, with a strong consensus that the current planning application is fundamentally flawed, both in process and substance, and should not proceed in its current form. See Appendix 4 – District Council Consultation for further detail.

Do please take a few minutes (actually, lots of minutes as there is a lot of material to digest) to look through each of the documents and please feel free to forward to others who may be interested.

In the meantime, best wishes and do keep in touch.

 

 

27 October 2025 update

 Cotswold District Council (CDC) consultation

According to the CDC’s website (25/02583/FUL Documents & comments) the consultation period has been extended to 24 November. If you weren’t able to submit your comments first time around, there is now a further opportunity to do so at 25/02583/FUL | Add your comments.

As of today, over 50 comments have been added including those representing planning consultees (Environment Agency, Gardens Trust, CDC Biodiversity, etc.). Do take a moment to have a look through.

Community questionnaire

Thank you to everyone who took time to complete an online or paper questionnaire. We received nearly 50 replies, and they are being analysed this week. The summary report will be included within the PC’s response to CDC.

Technical appraisal of the Application

In addition to representing the Community’s voice via the questionnaire and ongoing face to face discussions, the PC has commissioned an independent technical assessment of the Application to help shed light on the intricacies of the proposed scheme (some 250 pages across more that 20 comments) and to provide a view on how the scheme is likely to perform against its stated objectives.

The commission is possible thanks to many generous donations received from 17 members of the community. The PC is very grateful indeed. Thank you.

The full report will be included within the PC’s response to CDC.

In the news

As many of you will have read, several media outlets have featured the planning application. Links to the various articles are provided below. If you have seen other articles or features, please let the PC know via clerk@sherborneparish.org.

26 September

Punchline Gloucester National Trust shares plans for Sherborne wetlands

“The National Trust has submitted a planning application to Cotswold District Council for Sherborne wetlands, a project to increase nature-rich environments for wildlife to thrive and help conserve open water on the Sherborne Brook”

11 October

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard  Sherborne wetlands planning application from National Trust

“The National Trust has put forward a planning application to Cotswold District Council for Sherborne wetlands, near Bourton.”

25 October

The Times National Trust accused of ‘killing’ cherished Cotswolds landscape

“The charity’s plans to rewild part of the Sherborne estate have provoked fury, as villagers say decades of neglect have left the lakes in ruin”

Restore Trust National Trust accused of ‘killing’ cherished Cotswolds landscape

“The charity’s plans to rewild part of the Sherborne estate have provoked fury, as villagers say decades of neglect have left the lakes in ruin”

26 October

GB News National Trust blasted for ‘destroying’ beautiful English countryside

“A parish council has warned of ‘major concerns’ over a ‘potential adverse heritage impact upon the historic parkland’”

In the meantime

Do please get in touch if you would like to discuss the Application.

 

15 October 2025 update

Thank you to everyone who has already shared their views with the District Council and the Parish Council. Whatever your thoughts about the proposed scheme and it’s relative merits, please take a few minutes to respond to the District Council’s consultation.

You can:

1. submit your comments (by 21 October) via the District Council’s Planning Portal – Link to District Council comments page,
2. complete a Parish Council online questionnaire – Parish Council online questionnaire
3. complete a Parish Council paper questionnaire – Parish Council paper questionnaire (Please return your completed questionnaire via the Village Shop, directly to a Parish Councillor, or simply take a picture of the completed pages and email them to clerk@sherborneparish.org.
4. or write to Joanne Reeves, Case Officer, Planning Department, Cotswold District Council, Trinity Road, Cirencester, GL7 1PX (remember to quote reference 25/02583/FUL)

All the published documents, and responses received by the District Council so far, can be viewed here – 25/02583/FUL | Wetland enhancement works upstream of Sherborne Broadwater to reconnect river with floodplain, manage silt, preserve open water, improve biodiversity, and mitigate flood risk | Sherborne Brook Sherborne Gloucestershire

 

5 October 2025 update

The National Trust (NT) has submitted a planning application for a scheme to create a new wetland habitat approximately 100 meters to the east of Waterloo Bridge. The stated objectives of the scheme are to help remove sediment/silt within Sherborne Brook to prevent it from accumulating within the Broadwaters* and to provide a new and extended wetland habitat within the ‘Old Park’ to the south-west of the Broadwater, with the aim of enhancing local biodiversity.

(* The NT has stated on a number of occasions, that creating a sustainable way of reducing sediment/silt entering the Broadwaters would act as a key enabler for the recreation of meaningful areas of open water. As yet, there is no confirmed NT definition of what is meant by ‘meaningful areas of open water’. Anything from something that respects the historical design of the Broadwaters to a small area to the west of the weir. We will see.)

Details of the scheme were first shared with the community at two NT information sessions held at the village Social Club on the 7th & 11th of June. The NT’s planning application was then received by Cotswold District Council (CDC) nine weeks later on 14 August. Once validated by CDC, the application was made public on 23 September and can now be viewed online at National Trust Planning Application documents or at CDC’s offices in Cirencester.

A consultation period is now active, during which any members of the public can comment on the application and can make representations regarding the scheme. Any comments must be received by CDC by 21st October. In view of the complexity of the application (some 250 pages across more that 20 documents), the Parish Council (PC) has written to CDC asking for a two-week extension to the consultation period (4th November).

You can post your comments online at National Trust planning application comments

It’s a simple and easy way to make sure your voice is heard in time. In addition to responding directly to CDC via their website, the PC has prepared a simple questionnaire and delivered a copy to everyone within the Parish. Responses to this will be summarised and presented to CDC as part of the PC’s response to the application. An online version of the questionnaire is available at Parish Council online community questionnaire and a copy is also attached below.

The Parish Council is aware that the NT’s proposals shared at their community information sessions have caused some concerns for many within the Parish. Four of the main considerations raised are:

1. Increased water levels within the Brook and additional flood risk to nearby properties due to the introduction of baffles and dams within the Brook.
2. Efficacy of the proposed scheme in removing silt from the Brook and whether it will have any significant effect in reducing the continued build-up of silt and weed growth within the Broadwater.
3. Potential further degradation of the Old Park, which is a Grade II Registered Park and Garden of significant historical value.
4. Landscape and visual impact of the scheme upon local residents and the impact upon the inherent character of the parkland and wider village landscape.

The latter two items are fairly subjective, but the Parish Council is prepared to make representations which reflect the consensus view within community, as well as how the proposals relate to current Planning Policy within Cotswold District Council’s Local Plan.

Independent Hydrological Assessment

In respect of the first two considerations, the PC does not have the expertise to judge the efficacy of the scheme nor the potential for additional flood risk. Hence, in order for the PC to make an informed consultation response, we are proposing to commission a hydrological assessment from an independent hydrological consultancy. The consultancy will prepare a report which will provide a hydrological critique of the NT’s planning application.

The assessment will be made available to the community to allow individuals to draw their own conclusions and to comment upon the planning application.

The cost of the independent assessment will be £1,500. The PC is able fund part of the cost of this work but would also welcome any financial contributions from the Community.

If you would like to support this initiative, donations can be made directly through the PC by contacting the PC’s Clerk (clerk@sherborneparish.org). Further details can also be obtained from members of the PC.

Please take a few moments make your voice heard via the questionnaire (posted or online versions) and via the CDC’s website. Or if your prefer to write directly to the CDC’s planning case officer, here are the details:

Joanne Reeves, Case Officer, Planning Department, Cotswold District Council, Trinity Road, Cirencester, GL7 1PX

The case reference is 25/02583/FUL

Thank you

 

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10 August 2025 update

The Parish Council (PC) has received a response regarding the 9 July meeting notes sent to the National Trust (NT). They are attached below for reference—see ‘National Trust Sherborne Brook Restoration update 28 July 2025’. More recently, on 5th August, the NT replied to the community’s questions submitted on 16th July; this correspondence is also included below as ‘NT Sherborne Brook Restoration Community Q & A – 10 August 2025’.

The PC intends to formally invite the NT to a further briefing meeting, to discuss developments since the initial NT’s information events held in June. According to the NT’s latest update, a planning application was scheduled for submission during the week commencing 28 July. In light of the NT’s stated commitment to work with the community, it would be regrettable if this application did proceed without taking into account the community’s representations or offers of support to enhance the proposals previously presented in June.

We are looking forward to learning more and sharing further details.

In the meantime, if you have any further questions you would like the PC to progress on your behalf, do get in touch via clerk@sherborneparish.org.

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27 July 2025 update

During June the National Trust (NT) hosted two community briefing sessions designed to inform attendees of the NT’s plans to create a new wetland habitat approximately 100 meters east of Waterloo Bridge. The plans provided by the NT are attached for reference, so is the NT’s most recent newsletter (NT Newsletters) which sets out more details and a wider rational for the project.

Publication of details follows an extensive period of NT led stakeholder consultation including the NT’s own advisors, Historic England, the Environment Agency, and the Gardens Trust. Others too. The scheme has been designed by technical consultants JBA. The briefing sessions were the community’s first opportunity to review the plans and provide feedback.

The wetland creation project is positioned by the NT as a way of mitigating the quantity of silt entering the Upper Broadwater Lake. Two related aspects of a programme of a wider ‘Sherborne Brook Restoration’ initiative include:

1. Silt run-off from the main road heading downhill from the A40 towards Waterloo Bridge, and then uphill from the Bridge to Clapton-on-the-Hill (approximately one mile on each side of the Bridge).
2. Removal of silt from the historic Upper Broadwater Lake to recreate open water (now completely overgrown following more than a decade of neglect).

However, neither of these are included in the wetland creation planning application due to be submitted to Cotswold District Council.

Following community and riparian landowner feedback, a workshop was held (9 July) including the Parish Council, JBA consultants, relevant riparian owners, and representatives of the Sherborne Brook Support Group. The meeting included a site visit to the residential property most likely to be affected by any increase in water level (a key dependency of the scheme) resulting from the NT’s proposed scheme.

The notes of the meeting and community Q&A were copied to the NT on 15 July and are included below.

The Council hopes the NT will take account of the community’s concerns and positive suggestions as to how the proposed scheme could be improved. The NT’s response to the notes and Q&A will be posted here as soon as they are received.