‘Anonymous motorway outpost’ fears over 3000-home new town
There are fears plans for a new 3,000 home town would create an “anonymous motorway outpost” in Gloucestershire.
Forest of Dean District Council is in the process of renewing its blueprint for development in its area.
They have set a target of building more than 12,000 homes by 2045. And to try and meet the Government-imposed target they propose the creation of one or more new towns in the district.
One potential site is at the Glynchbrook site off the A417 in Redmarley, near the Ledbury junction of the M50.
However, there has been strong opposition from residents who have branded the idea as “extraordinarily odd” as it threatens to “obliterate” local heritage assets, and will be miles from local services, according to conservation experts.
Councillors are due to debate the draft local plan ahead of going out for consultation.
Analysis from conservation experts Donald Insall Associates suggests the Glynchbrook site was difficult to justify due to it being flood-prone agricultural land, wedged between a remote stretch of the M50, A147, and the Malvern Hills – was difficult to justify.
“Sustainability issues of car usage aside, the siting of what is essentially a new town in this location seems extraordinarily odd”, the experts said.
There is also concern over the impact the new homes would have on the neighbouring historic villages of Redmarley d’Abitot and Lowbands – which includes Bury Court, a Grade II* listed 12th century hall, and 39 other listed buildings which draw their value from their “agricultural setting”.
“A large development of new houses would obliterate the agricultural setting of the designated assets and destroy the valuable ‘sense of place’”, the analysts warned.
Noting the council’s own sustainability assessment, which found that the site would require “high reliability on transport by car”, with the closest services and employment centres several miles away, analysts added Glynchbrook would “have little meaning for Gloucestershire”.
“Essentially it would be an anonymous motorway outpost rather than a meaningful urban settlement”, the experts said.
“As well as causing profound change to the setting of the 12th-century Bury Court and Redmarley’s designated heritage assets, a proposed new car-based suburb would also have a great impact on the setting of the historic Chartist settlement of Lowbands”, the analysts warned.
A local residents group – called United Against Glynchbrook – Save Our Countryside – has signed an open letter to councillors calling on them to reconsider allocating the site off the M50 as part of their Local Plan.
Critics of Glynchbrook have warned that the council’s own initial sustainability assessment found that “floodzones” were running throughout the site and that it was poorly located for “low carbon” access to services.
The council’s assessment concluded that the site was “unlikely to meet” the criteria for development.
In contrast, the report suggests that growth focused on existing towns such as Lydney and Coleford could deliver heritage benefits, including regeneration of historic centres and improved public transport, while avoiding the scale of harm identified at Glynchbrook .
The council has since released a new sustainability assessment, which has now found that the site could meet sustainability criteria.
However, of the 31 sites the council’s new assessment reports on, Glynchbrook is the only that has had its conclusion revised to support development.
The council has previously said it recognises the concerns raised by residents and welcomes their involvement in the Local Plan process.
They said they are required by the Government to plan for a “significant” increase in new homes
“The emerging Local Plan sets out how we are exploring options to meet that requirement in a balanced and responsible way, to shape the long-term social, environmental and economic wellbeing of the Forest of Dean,” a council spokesperson previously said.
“We have raised concerns with central government about the housing numbers we have been asked to plan for and have written to seek clarification. We have not received a response, and the council is therefore continuing to progress its Local Plan in line with national policy.
“No decisions have been made on any individual site at this stage. All potential locations are being assessed against a range of evidence, including flood risk, transport and access to services, landscape and environmental impacts, and sustainability considerations.
“This work is ongoing, and councillors will continue to consider the evidence alongside public feedback before any proposals are finalised.
“If sites are taken forward, they would be subject to further detailed assessment and consultation, and any future development would be expected to meet all relevant national and local planning standards, as assessed through the examination process.”