As some of my constituents will be aware a housing developer named Glynchbrook has recently put forward a proposal to create a new “village”, arguably large enough to be a small town, also called Glynchbrook, comprising up to 3,000 homes between the M50 and A417 at Redmarley. The developer, via a third-party planning consultancy, is currently running a “consultation” seeking support for their proposal before a planning application is made to the Forest of Dean District Council.
I strongly object to this proposal. My view on matters such as this 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 or near existing large settlements where there is the appropriate infrastructure. The creation of a new ‘Glynchbrook settlement’ would risk diverting much-needed infrastructure and investment from already established towns and villages across the Forest of Dean.
This proposed settlement would also lay outside of Redmarley’s settlement boundary which, according to the District Council’s Allocations Plan, has been drawn tightly around the built-up area of the village, offering limited opportunities for further development. I generally support local plans once they are approved and oppose attempts to try and get round them.