The Church of England is a loggerheads with Michael Gove after the levelling up secretary blocked plans for a housing development in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
In a letter, the Bishop of Gloucester, the Rt Rev Rachel Treweek, attacked Gove’s “incomprehensible” failure not to give the go-ahead for a 350-home project on church land on the outskirts of the city.
She warned the decision would exacerbate Britain’s housing crisis and damage attempts by the church to use its land for social good.
The development, which was due to include 40% affordable homes, had been approved by Cheltenham Borough Council, but was overturned after Gove’s department called it in.
Opponents objected that the scheme, to be developed by Miller Homes, was being built on greenfield, but the site has been allocated for development for 20 years.
