Local leaders and community representatives have voiced significant concerns over plans to build two new towns in West Gloucestershire, warning that the developments could create a “deprivation doughnut” effect in the Forest of Dean.
The district council is preparing to recommend a new local plan that could shape housing and development until 2045. This plan aims to meet a target of over 13,000 new homes, with a preferred approach focused on constructing one or two new settlements alongside concentrated growth in main towns, villages, and larger settlements. Green Party leaders in Coleford advocate this hybrid strategy to balance growth and community needs.
However, critics argue the district’s geography limits these new settlements to the edges of the district. Many residents in the planned towns might commute out of the Forest, leaving existing towns in the center vulnerable to economic decline.
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Independent Councillor John Francis, representing Longhope and Huntley, formerly part of a successful campaign against a Churcham garden town proposal, warns that these plans miss the mark for housing needs.
“This plan is placing new homes in the wrong places,” Francis stated. “Government-imposed housing targets force an unrealistic approach. Instead, we should use new housing to revitalize our rural communities.”
Francis suggests increasing housing in core Forest towns by 12%, expanding Lydney to leverage its train station and main roads, and distributing around 2,000 homes across the district to support local community growth.
“We need multi-use developments where people can live and work locally, rather than commuting out,” he added. “Otherwise, any large new settlement on the periphery risks creating a deprivation doughnut. These outer areas thrive while central towns could wither as people travel away, causing economic and social decline in the heart of the Forest.”
The Forest of Dean District Council cabinet will review the local plan strategy on November 6, with a full council debate scheduled for November 13. The decisions made will impact how the district manages growth and preserves its communities for decades to come.