Plans to build a new 2,000-home town near Churcham, Gloucestershire, have raised alarm over the potential impact on the nightingale population in the ancient woodland of Highnam Woods. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) warns that domestic cats associated with the proposed development could severely threaten these vulnerable birds.
Highnam Woods, a designated RSPB reserve near Gloucester, supports an important population of nightingales—small songbirds celebrated for their powerful and melodious singing. Unfortunately, nightingales are listed as a red-listed species in the UK due to a dramatic decline of about 90% over the last 50 years. The 2013 national census recorded only around 5,550 singing males remaining.
Surveys carried out by the RSPB at Highnam Woods indicate the nightingale population is now concentrated in the southern part of the reserve and has plummeted from 20 singing males in 2001 to only two in 2025. The proposed new town, located just south of Highnam Woods on the opposite side of the A40, raises concerns about increased domestic cat presence, which poses a particular risk to these ground-nesting birds.
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Nightingales nest on or near the ground, making them especially vulnerable to cat predation and disturbances related to urbanisation—including increased noise, light pollution, and recreational activities. The RSPB emphasizes that these factors combined could drastically reduce nightingale breeding success.
The conservation group highlights a 2014 UK study recommending buffer zones between wildlife habitats and residential areas to mitigate cat-related impacts. They argue any development within this critical distance risks unacceptable harm to the nightingale population.
Moreover, Forest of Dean District Council was among the first rural councils in the UK to declare a climate and ecological emergency. The RSPB urges the council to carefully consider alternative sites for housing developments to protect fragile ecosystems like Highnam Woods.
“If this site is included in the Local Plan, it must demonstrate that the development benefits rather than harms nature,” the RSPB states. “The scale of mitigation measures necessary to protect ancient woodland and breeding nightingales may render such a large development unviable.”
An RSPB spokesperson reaffirmed the importance of Highnam Woods as a nightingale habitat and stressed continuing engagement with local authorities and developers to minimize wildlife impacts.
The public consultation on the draft local plan closed on March 18. Councillors are expected to debate the proposals before submitting a final version for examination later this year.