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Local Plan Preferred Option

We are preparing a new Local Plan to provide an up to date strategy to deliver new homes, employment, and community facilities. Ensuring the protection of the historic and natural environment and contribute as much as possible to the need for carbon reduction over the period to 2041. The new Local Plan when adopted will replace the present Allocations Plan and Core Strategy.

The preferred option builds on previous consultation exercises, including the issues and Options in 2019. It sought views on the preferred option, which has been endorsed by Cabinet and Full Council. It is still subject to evaluation including possible alternatives, potential sites and policies.  At this stage specific sites are not identified although general areas considered appropriate for development are referred to. 

 The Preferred Option involves development at four strategic locations:

  • Lydney, largely based around the existing allocated sites to the east of the town
  • Newent, predominantly to the south east of the town
  • Beachley in connection with the current but likely to be vacated MoD base
  • in the vicinity of where the A40 and A48 meet

About half of the sites required will be from those already identified in existing plans, the rest will need to be identified. The newly identified land will need to accommodate about 4000 dwellings and other development. 

Parts of the strategy are fixed (the use of existing committed sites), but no decisions have been made in respect of new allocations of any size. 

The Strategic Option and Cabinet Report (opens as a PDF) are available here to show how the strategies have been considered and recommend one approach. 

 You can also view a map of constraints (for example, conservation areas, recreation areas) and potential settlement areas. To use the map type in postcode or area. You can then zoom in and click on different parts of the map to get more information about the constraint.

The consultation has now closed. The comments received can be viewed
using the link below:

Preferred option and comments received

Consultation overview

What Happens next

Thank you to everyone who responded to the consultation which closed on 29 January 2021. All of the consultation responses received will now be carefully analysed and considered to inform the next stage of the emerging Local Plan.

The Local Plan process involves several more formal stages (view project plan), at which representations may be made before the contents of a plan are fixed. The final stage is a public examination which will examine the Plans policies and proposals.

Planning process changes

We are aware of government consultations which seek to amend the planning process. These currently have no weight and the Local Plan is being prepared under current regulations and guidance. If changes which affect the plan happen during the process we will take them into account.