This drone footage shows the daily commuter traffic congestion hell on A40 and A48 roundabout, one of the main transit routes between Gloucester/ surrounding area and the Forest of Dean. This traffic queue regularly stretches back 5 miles where drivers are stuck in it for up to an hour and a half. This route have been over capacity for years since everything is constrained by the Severn river crossing and the traffic from the Forest of Dean heading north east must use it. These roads are also subject to flooding and have been closed several times by the Police in recent years due to being under water. This situation explains why the Forest of Dean struggles to create jobs in its region and has some of the highest levels of deprivation in Gloucestershire
There are still some in person community events to be held. Please attend wherever possible and make your views known
In-person community events
As part of the consultation, we’ll also be hosting in-person events for residents to attend and speak to members of staff about the Revised Draft Plan. Details for the events can be found below:
23 February 2026 – Newent Community Pavilion, Recreation Ground, Watery Lane, Newent GL18 1QA (3:00pm – 6:00pm)
25 February 2026 – Sedbury and Beachley Village Hall, King Alfreds Road, Sedbury, NP16 7AG (3:00pm – 6:00pm)
28 February 2026 – Huntley Village Hall, North Road, Huntley, GL19 3DU (9:00am – 12pm)
02 March 2026 – Redmarley Village Hall, Redmarley, GL19 3HS (3:30pm – 6:30pm)
04 March 2026 – Coleford District Council Offices, High Street, Coleford, Glos, GL16 8HG (3:00pm – 6:00pm)
https://nonewtowns.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Image-1.jpeg337713churchampchttps://nonewtowns.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Final-No-New-Towns-Logo-copy-300x300.pngchurchampc2026-02-19 12:09:472026-02-19 12:09:47In Person Community Events
A vote of no confidence in Forest of Dean District Council’s leaders will be debated next week.A Gloucestershire council’s Green Party leadership could be deposed next week amid rising concerns over controversial plans to build two new towns to help meet a 13,200-home target.
Forest of Dean District Council will debate a motion of no confidence in its leader and cabinet later this week.
Independent Councillor John Francis (Longhope and Huntley) has put forward the proposal due to what he sees as the “undemocratic” way the council has dealt with the emerging blueprint for development in the district. This accusation has been rejected by the Green administration.
Cllr Francis claims there has been a lack of engagement for all councillors to engage in the making of the current draft plan.
“This lack of engagement means that there has been no forum in which to express the views of local residents or those of town and parish councils by members,” he said.
“Members have been ignored and completely side-lined by the leader in the development of the draft local plan.
“The views of members in the formation of the local plan have not been included or even discussed, to the detriment of our electorate.
“Furthermore, it has led to an absence of any in-depth debate over the wider strategy, including the exploration of alternative options for site allocations needed to accommodate the unprecedented increase in the government’s required target for house building in the Forest of Dean District
“It is too late, at the public consultation stage, for all members to have any meaningful input into the shaping of proposals. This is simply undemocratic.”
Cllr Francis said the three previous local plan portfolio holders held many open sessions to discuss the merits, shortcomings and difficulties that each site posed.
Council leader Adrian Birch (G, Tidenham) said the Green administration does not recognise the alleged democratic shortcomings.
He said: “We respect both the integrity of the process and of our fellow councillors. We will formally address the issue next week, offering our reasoned arguments where they are best debated, in full council.
Green Party councillor Adrian Birch is the leader of Forest of Dean District Council
“At this stage I can simply say that we don’t recognise the alleged shortcomings in the democratic process in developing our local plan.
“We look forward to the vote, confident of support for the sustained hard work of our district officers and councillors in producing a viable local plan.”
https://nonewtowns.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Image.jpeg13501080churchampchttps://nonewtowns.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Final-No-New-Towns-Logo-copy-300x300.pngchurchampc2026-02-19 11:57:302026-02-19 12:05:04Forest of Dean District Council – Vote of no confidence
Villagers turned out in force last night (February 17) to oppose “absolute madness” plans for a new town near a traffic pinch point on the outskirts of Gloucester.
More than 50 people packed Churcham Primary School to voice their opposition to the Forest of Dean District Council’s local plan.
The new blueprint will set out where new development can take place over the next 20 years.
The District Council has been set a new target by the Government and the latest local plan aims to provide more than 13,000 homes over that time.
And the creation of two new settlements is being proposed to help meet the new target.
One would be off the A40 in Churcham with 2,000 homes and the other off the A417 in Redmarley with 3,500 dwellings.
However, this has sparked strong opposition from residents in both areas.
Villagers who attended the parish council meeting raised serious concerns over the impact around 9,000 extra cars will have on the roads and the A40 in particular.
There are also concerns about the potential for thousands of extra homes being built on the other side of the border with Tewkesbury Borough at Highnam.
During the meeting, Paul Thomas said one of the reasons the Churcham site was put forward is because of the bus lane at Highnam.
“Anybody with local knowledge knows that that bus lane terminates at the bridge,” he said.
“So everything is going to squeeze over the River Severn. So unless we actually have another bridge or some way of mitigating that, it’s pompous.”
He said the parish council has highlighted the traffic problems there.
“If you look at the roundabouts, you can turn right into Gloucester,” he said.
“It looks like we’ve got two lanes, but everybody who goes in there in the morning realises one of them is for everything trying to go down by the Docks.
“Then if you look at the other roads they’re single lanes. Single file.”
He said it was “absolute madness” to put “a load of houses on one of the most strategic pinch points”.
“What planet are they on? You know, the roads are already over capacity. Anybody stuck for an hour and a half in the morning, realises that.”
Residents also raised concerns about flooding, the lack of local infrastructure, shops and whether Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and other health services would be able to cope with the extra demand.
There were also comments criticising Green councillors for going against their own party’s policies and Labour councillors in the Forest for supporting their administration’s plans.
The council’s Green leadership is facing a vote of no confidence over their handling of the local plan at a meeting in Coleford tomorrow (February 19).
Council leader Adrian Birch (G, Tidenham) has said the new housing target has been imposed on them by the Government and it is nearly double the amount previously needed.
The District Council has been robust in its response to ministers in appealing against the new housing numbers unfortunately to no avail, he previously said.
“Without an approved plan, the council would have very limited control over where development happens, leaving developers able to submit speculative planning applications that the council would struggle to defend,” Cllr Birch previously said.
“We know this is a major challenge for a largely rural and environmentally sensitive area like ours.”
The council is inviting all residents to share their views on the draft local plan and is inviting landowners to come forward with sites they believe could have potential for future development.
Those who wish to put forward sites to be considered in this year’s review can download a form from the council’s website to do so.
Residents wishing to comment on the local plan can do so by email localplans@fdean.gov.uk or writing to the council to the Forest of Dean District Council to provide their views to Forest of Dean District Council FAO Local Plans Team, High Street, Coleford, GL16 8HG.
The District Council has been approached for further comment.
Local residents attend Churcham Parish Council meeting to object to New Towns
https://nonewtowns.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IMG_9459-768x576-1.jpg576768churchampchttps://nonewtowns.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Final-No-New-Towns-Logo-copy-300x300.pngchurchampc2026-02-19 11:37:312026-02-19 11:44:06Local residents attend Parish Council Meeting to oppose New Towns
This week, Forest of Dean MP , Mark Harper, used his Facebook column to make clear his opposition to the District Council’s ill-thought-out plan for a new town as their preferred option for the upcoming Local Plan.
His comment is reproduced here in full.
THE LOCAL PLANNING LOWDOWN
Some will already be familiar with the District Council’s mooted plans to build several thousand houses near Churcham.
I know that planning and housing conjures up lots of views, especially over plans such as these, so I thought I would take this opportunity to set out the current situation in the Forest of Dean and the area’s Local Plan for housebuilding.
We find ourselves in a situation where the District Council don’t really need to build several thousand houses near Churcham, on a floodplain and near a busy road junction. Their own planning documents show that we can meet the housing targets through a combination of existing settlement expansion and by developing the site at Beachley to be vacated by the MoD within the next decade.
In order for the Beachley plans to work, my neighbouring MP David TC Davies and I continue to make the case for a Chepstow bypass in order to fix the congestion at the English-Welsh border. You can’t build more houses at Beachley without dealing with the traffic situation. Central Government sets targets on how many extra houses each area needs, based on, amongst other things, Office for National Statistics figures on population growth. It was the case for a couple of months in 2020 that a ‘mutant algorithm’ might force the District Council to build many more houses each year than usual. Plainly, this would not do. In the end, this did not come to pass thanks to pressure put on the Government by over 70 Conservative MPs, myself included. I am glad that they listened.
This means that the District Council are now only being asked to build a similar number of houses as they have been for the last few years. Had that ‘mutant algorithm’ come to pass, the District Council could have reasonably blamed the Government for forcing them to build lots more houses than our area could cope with, resulting in the kind of strange plan at Churcham. However, thanks to the work of my colleagues and I to get the algorithm dropped, the District Council no longer have that excuse and cannot pass the buck to anyone else.
My own view on planning has always been consistent: new housing should be in keeping with the surrounding area, both in scale and style, and any significant new settlements should be targeted at already developed brownfield sites. The recent suggestion by the District Council of building several thousand houses in the vicinity of the A48/A40, close to Churcham, doesn’t seem to pass that entirely reasonable test. This is especially true given the significant traffic congestion which frequently occurs at the A40/A48 junction.
So, that’s where we are at the moment.
As we approach important local elections on 6 May, it is important to bear in mind that the District Council’s planning policy is run by the Green Party.
It’s a reminder of what you get if your local Councillors aren’t Conservatives.
https://nonewtowns.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Mark-Harpers-speaks-out-against-new-town-at-Churcham.jpg8001280adminhttps://nonewtowns.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Final-No-New-Towns-Logo-copy-300x300.pngadmin2021-04-18 10:08:472021-04-18 10:27:16Forest MP makes clear his opposition to “new town” plan
The CPCG has been meeting to develop a combined response to the consultation on the ‘preferred option’ of the Forest of Dean Council. This ‘preferred option’ is to concentrate the extra housing quota of the Forest of Dean District broadly in one area.
This communication group comprises the parish councils of Churcham, Highnam, Huntley, Minsterworth, Westbury and Blaisdon. We have after our initial meeting reached out to the FODDC and had a constructive meeting with councillors and the planning department. A major outcome of the meeting is a willingness by the FODDC to continue dialogue as we move through the consultation process and beyond.
To help and guide the parishes through the interaction with the FODDC we have engaged a planning consultancy, this initial engagement and report is funded jointly by the six parish councils.
Initial scope of the response will include:-
This report will present a combined approach from the combined parishes
The scope and capacity for development in and around existing settlements
The settlement hierarchy
Environmental constraints
Traffic
Travel to work patterns
Provision of public transport
Cross boundary issues
Land budget and Masterplan for any new settlement
Progress of comparable new settlements elsewhere
The report is being formulated at the moment, we will be contacting the FODDC for another meeting shortly so they can provide more information as we develop the consultation response.
We wanted to provide a quick update on the progress we have been making regarding our
challenge to the District Council’s Preferred Strategy.
We have now formed a communications group to ensure that we keep a clear and consistent
message across the Parishes. We will be working very closely with the cross-Parish strategy
team which consists of Highnam, Minsterworth, Westbury, Huntley and Churcham Parish
Councils.
We have put together a strategy to ensure we inform everyone in the Forest of Dean District
about the consultation process, and to share how everyone can have their say! We will also be
continually sharing news and keeping everyone up-to-date with the ongoing process.
Below are the communications methods we are focusing on:
Targeted Facebook ads
Leaflets
Billboards
Radio
Press releases
We also have our website as the main repository for all up to date information; https://nonewtowns.org.uk
We welcome any further ideas or suggestions and please let us know if you would like to get
involved 😊
Press release November 2020 Headline: Forest’s market town economies left to rot in favour of new townships
“I watched the FODDC Viability Assessment meeting and it is really stark in its findings for the Forest.
One major finding is the lack of viability of the Forest towns to be developed, due to financial restraints.
“This really condemns the forest towns to a slow decline into deprivation and obscurity. Whilst a large development will be financially viable to developers in clear detriment to the existing Forest towns” – John Francis, Chair of Churcham Parish Council on FODDC Local Plan Economic Viability Assessment by Simon Drummond-Hay. (See attached)
As part of the District Council’s Local Plan 2021-2041 outlining development needs across the District, an Economic Viability Assessment of the area has been completed.
Its conclusions present the latest blow to our communities’ futures.
Unless challenged, this Local Plan threatens to leave our towns to rot – while promoting unwanted new settlements on greenfield sites.
–
The Assessment states that investing in housing, businesses and infrastructure on brownfield sites across Forest towns is economically unviable for developers.
Analysis has shown, however, that there is enough brownfield land to meet the District’s housing quota.
Existing homes and villages are deemed unattractive and unworthy of improvement by this report, in favour of profit-hungry developers’ new builds.
Instead, Councillors are steaming ahead with their plans to build a new 4,000 house town on the cusp of the Tewkesbury-Forest Districts, across swathes of greenfield land.
This new settlement will funnel inhabitants straight into Gloucester, from the proposed site in Churcham, providing residents with little incentive to visit, work or invest in what will become our forgotten Forest towns.
It begs the question – why are our Councillors determined to help developers create (and profit from) Gloucester’s next urban conurbation, while happily consigning our towns and businesses to decline and decay?
A damning indictment on our Council’s commitment to the future of our communities?
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Alarmed by our Council’s lack of faith in the potential of our towns and communities?
Distressed that our young generation will be forced to leave their home towns and relocate for want of what-could-have-been thriving local employment, businesses, social hubs and infrastructure?
Frustrated that our Councillors are turning a blind eye to brownfield potential, and betraying our interests, in favour of lining the housing developers’ pocket?
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Do not leave it too late to comment on these plans – Have Your Say!
The District Council’s formal consultation period for these plans are LIVE now for a limited time!
Express your views to District Councillors about the overall housing and infrastructure Local Plan, before the 29th January 2021 here:
Last Thursday, October 15th, the Forest of Dean District’s Full Council narrowly approved the strategy likely to create a large development between the A40 and the A48.
Amendments to reflect on and revisit the strategy were voted down by the councillors in a very close vote.
We now have eight weeks to enter into a consultation period. Due to Covid we cannot meet to support/discuss/or oppose this madness.
Our only tool is social media and individual representation, so please:
In the parish council, we will engage with the consultation process and keep you all updated.
Many thanks,
John Francis – Chairman, Churcham Parish Council
https://nonewtowns.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/FOD-Council-Building.jpg480640adminhttps://nonewtowns.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Final-No-New-Towns-Logo-copy-300x300.pngadmin2020-11-24 20:48:582020-12-29 14:35:44District Council Divided On Housing Strategy!
On October 8th, the Cabinet of the Forest of Dean District Council approved a new settlement as the preferred option for the housing plan for the district. This preferred option is to site 4000 houses between the A40 and A48 in the parish of Churcham. The extent of this development if approved will cover an area of 470 acres. The parish council have not been consulted on the strategy and are against a development of this size in the parish. indeed it will change our rural community into a urban one.
Also the traffic this development will generate will be disabling for the parish and cause major problems on our road network. We have no details or been consulted over this, we don’t know where it is being sited or what landowners are being affected.
Forest of Dean have a further meeting on the 15th October 2020 to put forward the strategy to the planning committee, if approved there will be an 8 week consultation period where the parish council and parish can then express our views. It seems perverse that a strategy to site a development of this size in our community is being taken and us the residents only have a chance to comment after the strategy is decided!!!
John Francis – Chairman, Churcham Parish Council
https://nonewtowns.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Gloucestershire-Green-Field-Give-Away-1.png5121210adminhttps://nonewtowns.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Final-No-New-Towns-Logo-copy-300x300.pngadmin2020-11-24 20:46:502020-11-24 20:46:50Churcham Parish Council Alert!
HAVE YOUR SAY NOW!! CONSULTATION DEADLINE 18TH MARCH 2026 REJECT THE PLAN
