Calls to dismiss proposals for a new town site near the M50 motorway have been criticised as “nimbyism” amid suggestions that thousands of additional homes should instead be built closer to existing towns already grappling with severe traffic congestion.
Last week, hundreds of residents signed an open letter opposing plans for 3,500 homes near Redmarley, in the northern part of Forest of Dean district. The letter called for these controversial proposals to be removed from the local council’s new housing strategy.
Forest of Dean District Council is currently developing a new local plan, which will determine housing developments across the district over the next two decades. The council has been instructed by the Government to identify sites for over 13,000 new homes within this period.
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The previously drafted plan-withdrawn in June-included a proposal for a new town at Glynchbrook, located off the A417 near the Ledbury junction of the M50, as well as a separate 2,000-home development at Churcham on the A40 near Gloucester.
Opponents around Redmarley deem the Glynchbrook site “unsustainable” and favour expanding nearby towns such as Lydney and Tutshill instead. Campaign group United Against Glynchbrook argues that between 3,200 and 4,600 homes could be accommodated around Lydney’s existing facilities, including its rail station, schools, and high street.
However, civic leaders in the southern Forest of Dean express concern that this alternative is unworkable. They point out that Lydney lacks a community hospital and sufficient infrastructure, and that residents already endure “terrible” traffic congestion on the A48.
The earlier draft plan had already earmarked land for approximately 3,000 homes between Lydney and Chepstow. Councillors fear that shifting the additional Glynchbrook homes there would exacerbate existing problems.
Alan Preest, Conservative councillor for Lydney East, described expectations that those homes could be built near Lydney or Chepstow as naive. He highlighted the advantage Glynchbrook would have with a motorway nearby, compared to the south of the Forest where infrastructure is lacking.
He sympathises with Glynchbrook residents and agrees that the district’s housing targets are challenging, but stresses that local representatives in the south should have been consulted on proposals to accommodate more homes in their area.
Preest said: “We don’t want to see the proposals dismissed there through nimbyism and then shifted down here. We are already struggling with infrastructure for the houses we have, let alone more.”
He pointed out that Lydney has lost its community hospital, faces shop closures, and its schools are over capacity. “Kids are being sent away to schools elsewhere,” he remarked.
He also criticised recent developments such as the Oakdale neighbourhood, which houses 900 people but lacks basic facilities like a community centre. “Roads are congested to high heaven both towards Gloucester and Chepstow,” he added.
According to Preest, Lydney has become predominantly a commuter town and is nearing saturation point.
Tidenham councillor Nick Evans, representing areas including Sedbury and Tutshill, which were also earmarked for new housing, emphasised the urgent need for a Chepstow bypass to alleviate traffic congestion.
He said: “Whether in the northern or southern Forest of Dean, it’s clear local residents understand that we lack the infrastructure and services to support the extensive developments the Government seeks to impose.”
Evans warned that without substantial investment first, the district risks significant harm to communities already overloaded and facing gridlock, as evidenced by this summer’s traffic issues. He stressed that his area “desperately needs a Forest Gateway Road” to support any potential new housing developments, such as a village at Beachley.