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Emerging local plan issues and options

The development of issues and options is first opportunity for residents, businesses and other interested parties to be involved in planning for our future.

The scope of the issues and options consultation is to identify the key planning issues and opportunities the revised Local Plan should address. The key issue is how to accommodate development that is sustainable within the district. This means promoting development which contributes to a district where:

  • young people can find jobs
  • older people are supported as they age
  • tourism and new businesses can grow and prosper
  • the community is healthy and active
  • there is a high quality built and natural environment to be protected

Climate change has become a much more imminent risk and concern and we have declared a Climate Emergency. We are actively engaged in pursuing a low carbon future and seeks new development to be designed to adapt to climate change.

The Issues and Options document outlines some options and initial ideas for the strategic policies such as the scale of housing and economic development. 

This stage of the plan does not contain potential locations for allocation for housing or other uses, but considers the distribution of development at the settlement level. 

Issues and options consultation

The consultation on the issues and options closed at 4:30pm on Thursday 31 October 2019.

The comments received during the consultation are now able to view on the consultation webpage

We asked for comments on what you feel are the planning issues facing the Forest of Dean and the options we have to address them. The information gathered at this issues and options stage will be used to produce a draft plan. If you would like further information contact us by:

  • emailing localplans@fdean.gov.uk
  • post to Local Plans Team, Forest of Dean District Council, High Street, Coleford, Gloucestershire, GL16 8HG

All comments and names will be available for public viewing. The personal information collected during this consultation will be dealt with according to the data protection principles as set out in the Data Protection Act 2018.

Next steps after the consultation 

Now the consultation has closed, we will read and analyse all the comments we receive. We will produce a schedule of these representations which we will publish on our website.

Your views, along with the evidence that supports the Local Plan and the outcome of the Sustainability Appraisal will be used to help develop our new Local Plan to the next stage where we will set out what we think is the best strategy to deliver the Forest of Dean District needs.