Bovis Homes faces protests over plans to build 137-house estate on top of Roman villa

A housing developer is facing a protest in a picturesque Cotswold village over plans to build a housing estate on top of a 2,000-year-old Roman villa.

The ‘important discovery’ was made by archaeologists working on behalf of Bovis Homes as they excavated in Cam, Gloucestershire.

Among the find were the remains of an underfloor heating system, a circular bath, wall plaster and decorated tiles.

However the developer, who owns the land, has angered locals by insisting the villa does not qualify for preservation.

Christie McLean has started a petition in a bid to save the site which had garnered more than 3,500 signatures within two days of launching.

She told the BBC: ‘Everybody is in awe of it. There are some historical landmarks around here but nothing as obvious.

‘We are hoping with the petition and more voices that [Bovis] can adjust their current plans.’

BBC presenter and archaeology expert Professor Mark Horton described the site as ‘a very important discovery’. 

But he said protesters were limited in their options due to Bovis having full planning permission for build on the site.  

Historic England could visit the villa to inspect its remains, which could eventually lead to a recommendation to the secretary of state, however this would mean paying compensation to Bovis.

A Bovis Homes spokeswoman said: ‘Archaeological investigations are a key part of new-build developments and we are proud to fund this work to find out more about Cam’s history as we build for the future.

‘The archaeologists carrying out this work report back to the county council and regularly update us and Stroud district council on progress, recording and removing artefacts, and detailing the finds they make.’