Cross-Parish Strategy Update
Update 27/11/2020
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.
John Francis (Chair Churcham Parish Council)
I would like to give my support to this report, I am livid at the proposals anything I can do to help I will. I think your strategy needs to include parishes from wider a field as this new town will have massive implications for everyone as far as Newent, May Hill, even Ross etc the effects will ripple outward from the epicentre of this development these parishes should also get involved. My fear is that not enough people will know about this madness and the effects on their lives and environment in the future The FDDC have been underhand with the timing of the “consultation”in a pandemic and the lack of provision of any sensible information.The proposal is liken to a college project apart from this time it is reality.The last thing people need to consider with all their pandemic problems etc is this! JRD FRICS