Forest of Dean draft Local Plan to be updated following consultation with residents
The Forest of Dean draft Local Plan is proposed to be updated following consultation with residents. The latest version of the plan will take into account feedback from residents and also include lower housing numbers than it previously did, before going back out to consultation in Spring 2024.
Cabinet Member for Local Plan, Cllr Sid Phelps said:
“The Local Plan is our opportunity as the community of the Forest of Dean to plan for a positive future for the area, while meeting the housing targets imposed on us by the Government.
“This plan gives us the opportunity to push for the right roads and facilities to support those homes, get as many affordable homes as we can and also make new developments as close to carbon neutral as possible so they are homes fit for the future.
“We’ve listened and taken on board the comments and feedback from residents to the plan put forward in 2022. We have made changes where we can and we have been able to reduce the number of houses we have to build. I’d like to thank all of the residents, organisations and businesses who have responded to us so far.
“In the last consultation residents raised concerns about the need to improve roads and other key services we know the district needs. This plan will push for those improvements. We will also be doing other work as a council to influence the Government and other organisations to improve that infrastructure.”
The draft plan would promote existing towns and major villages to receive new housing, with Lydney receiving more as the biggest town in the Forest with the required current infrastructure. The plan would call for more employment, retail, leisure, schools and other services to support new and existing residents. It would also include requirements for better roads and transport connections across the district to help manage the increased population. This approach was consulted on in 2022 with feedback contributing to the latest changes.
Numbers for housing required in the Forest of Dean have been reviewed since the last consultation in 2022 and in line with Government targets, the plan needs to show that it can support around 6600 new homes over its lifespan (2021-2041) with up to 40% of dwellings already committed. This is approximately 900 less homes required for development in the Forest of Dean than initially thought, allowing for much greater flexibility and a far more sustainable approach to development in the area.
The Local Plan would include proposals to do everything possible to address climate change and protect rural areas and landscapes, provide environmental protection, support biodiversity and nature recovery and provide new green infrastructure.
The next stage of the Local Plan process would be a consultation with residents and business on the final draft of the plan which is due to take place in Spring 2024. Residents will be invited to give their feedback and will be provided with all the details of the proposal for them to consider.
The approach has been approved by the Council’s Cabinet with Full Council to consider the approach next week. Details for the Forest of Dean District Council Local Plan can be found here: https://www.fdean.gov.uk/planning-and-building/planning-policy/developing-our-new-local-plan/