Plans to build new towns and villages approved

The plans have been met with concern by some councillors

Plans to build as many as 12,000 new homes, some in completely new towns and villages, have moved a step closer to reality after being approved at a council debate.

Forest of Dean District Council has agreed to find space to build the new homes in order to meet revised national government housing targets.

Four options were presented to councillors - who ultimately voted to create completely new settlements and expand existing towns and villages to meet the targets over the next 20 years.

"We really don't want to build on green field sites but we are being put in a very awkward position by the sheer number of houses we are having to find," said councillor Adrian Birch

"We've had to go ahead on the basis that if we don't get 12,000 houses in our plan by the end of next year, then we will lose the ability to control that situation and developers will then have a field day and they will be able to build where they like," he added.

The targets have been set by the government, which is aiming to build 1.5 million new homes across the country by 2029.

There is not yet any detail on where exactly the council thinks the settlement will be created, "but in historic situations that has been in the north of the district", said Mr Birch.

He said it was a "difficult policy decision" and that council officers had looked closely at sticking to existing towns and villages, but ultimately decided it would not be enough to meet the target.

The authority is working with other councils and consultants to look at road and highway networks as well as landscape and flood risks to establish where might be best suited for new housing developments.

Applause came from the public gallery when opposition councillors spoke against the plans

The decision was met with concern by opposition councillors and some local communities who felt the plans had not been sufficiently thought through.

"I'm very disappointed - I don't think [the council] represent the people in any way at all," said Redmarley Parish Councillor, Andrew Goodall.

"Experience elsewhere shows that developments often take 15-25 years to deliver in full. This means they may not provide the homes we need quickly enough to meet the districts immediate housing needs," independent councillor Julia Gooch said.

"We have to try and find housing, otherwise other people will make that decision for us, the government will get the Planning Inspectorate in and that is hardly a democratic approach," Mr Birch responded.