Councils are pushing back against Angela Rayner's housebuilding targets, with worries that it could destroy the countryside.

Cotswold District Council has written to Rayner, saying their rural landscape could risk "irreparable harm" if the Deputy Prime Minister goes ahead with her plans.

Labour announced last year that it would build 1.5million new homes by 2029, with local authorities required to plan for 370,000 of these.

Cotswold council leader Mike Evemy told the Government to "apply common sense" to their "unrealistic" targets.

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Angela Rayner pledged to build 1.5million homes last year

The current proposals would mean each district needs to build 1,036 homes this year - more than double the area's previous plan of 420 per year.

The letter said that the Cotswolds are "revered around the world for their natural beauty" and that 80 per cent of the land is "an absolute non-starter for development".

Evemy pushed the Government to reduce the target, but has not yet received a response.

The Cotswolds join Bath, Arun and East Hampshire pushing back against the targets since Labour came to power in 2024.