Concerns are mounting that domestic cats from a proposed 2,000-home development in Churcham, Gloucestershire, could devastate the local population of nightingales in the ancient Highnam Woods. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has highlighted the potential threat these cats pose to the protected birds, known for their exquisite song and already suffering steep population declines.
Highnam Woods near Gloucester is an important habitat supporting nightingales, a species that is red-listed due to a dramatic 90% decline in the UK over the past 50 years. The most recent census in 2013 recorded only about 5,550 singing males nationwide. Annual surveys at Highnam Woods show the bird population is concentrated in the southern part of the reserve, but numbers have alarmingly dropped from 20 singing males in 2001 to just two by 2025.
The proposed new town lies just south of the woods, across the A40, and is a key part of Forest of Dean District Council’s 20-year development plan. The RSPB warns that the anticipated rise in domestic cats—which naturally prey on ground-nesting birds like nightingales—poses a severe risk to their breeding success. Nightingales are particularly vulnerable because they nest on or near the ground, making them easy targets.
READ MORE: Village Residents Disheartened as Solar Farm Approval Moves Forward
READ MORE: Everything You Need to Know About Wychwood Festival in Cheltenham
In their response to the Local Plan consultation, the RSPB emphasized that urbanisation effects such as cat predation, recreational disturbances, increased noise, and artificial lighting could all negatively affect nightingale behavior and survival. They referenced a 2014 UK study recommending buffer zones between wildlife sites and residential areas allowing cat ownership to mitigate these risks. The RSPB considers any housing development within this buffer near Highnam Woods to pose an unacceptable level of threat.
Additionally, Forest of Dean District Council had declared a climate and ecological emergency, which the RSPB says must be reflected in careful site selection for housing. The charity stresses the importance of choosing less damaging locations and warns that the extensive mitigation required to protect the woodland habitat and nightingale population might render this particular development proposal unviable.
An RSPB spokesperson confirmed Highnam Woods as vital for nightingales, a declining priority species. They expressed ongoing commitment to working with the council and developers to minimize impacts on local wildlife.
The public consultation on the draft local plan closed on March 18, and discussions are set to continue before councillors finalize the plan for examination later this year.