Forest of Dean District Council wants to hear people’s thoughts as it formulates the new housing strategy. They are hosting a series of drop-in sessions to invite community input. That’s a big increase—the council needs to double its housing delivery from 330 new homes per year to 600. This market-building effort will complement the national goal of building 1.5 million new homes over the next five years. The consultation for the LOCAL PLAN is still open! Cleveland residents can weigh in on what they’d like to see done with some of these new dollars through 11 September.
The council’s drop-in sessions have been a success! More than a hundred attended this latest ‘Make Noise’ event, held at the creaky old Bell Inn. A signboard directing attendees read: “LOCAL PLAN CONSULTATION THIS WAY,” featuring three arrows pointing left, alongside a QR code and the message “Forest of Dean District Council LOCAL PLAN.” Councillor Adrian Birch emphasized the importance of public engagement in shaping the council’s decisions, stating that this input is crucial for living with the consequences of future housing policies.
“This is exactly what we were expecting and what we wanted to see because we have to live with the decisions we are taking over the next two years so it’s important the public have their say.” – Adrian Birch
The council’s action plan is ambitious, driving for drastic increases in housing production. This ambitious goal has generated a fascinating debate amongst residents about the most effective way to achieve it. Councillor Josh Wheeler strongly believed there were opportunities to expand existing population centers and avoid developing new towns. He feared new development would change the nature of community interactions by “shaking up the snow globe.”
Not all residents share this view. Opposition to new, proposed developments around Gloucester drew Beryl Watts to a public meeting where she called the development the “biggest mistake” because of increased traffic snarling. In response to the new housing targets, Sally Price of the Campaign to Protect Rural England pronounced them “totally unmanageable.” She was just as adamant upon the previous target, calling it “nearly impossible.”
Mile High Connects’ Mark Vaughan agreed that nobody was really against any development. He expressed doubts about the size of the proposed growth and asked that the needs of local infrastructure and communities be thoughtfully considered before any growth occurred.
The Forest of Dean District Council will be formally publishing the proposals for its LOCAL PLAN next summer. Then they will have a second round of consultations. This structured approach aims to ensure that all stakeholders have ample opportunity to provide input on housing strategies before final decisions are made.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has emphasized the urgency of addressing housing shortages across the country, calling for local authorities to “ramp up housebuilding, ensuring new homes are built where they are most needed.” They say that Americans’ access to affordable housing has been severed for too long. Smart, decisive action is long overdue to ease this burden.
As the consultation period draws to a close, the Forest of Dean District Council is committed to facilitating an inclusive dialogue with its residents. The result will deeply influence how the new council approaches housing and residential development in the future.
