How should Newent develop? Since the General Election in July ‘24, Angela Rayner, in her role as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced a shake-up of the planning system and this will almost certainly affect us in Newent.

In order to build many more much-needed homes, especially those which are ‘affordable’, major changes are due to be made. A temporary halt has been ordered to Local Plans which have not yet reached the final stages. The Forest of Dean District Council’s Local Plan fits into that category and the forward planners here need to go back and think again.

The local consultation event in Newent in July ‘24 shortly after the General Election will have produced views which will not go unheeded but the progress of the Plan as a whole has been halted for the moment whilst the officers and the council wait for more detail from the government before decisions are made on the way forward.

The FoDDC has already been asked to increase its house-building target by 84% so undoubtedly, more sites will need to be identified for new housing development. It is likely that the plan, which was due to be completed next year, will be delayed by at least eighteen months.

It would be surprising if Newent were not identified to take at least part of that increased allocation but we cannot yet be certain. In the meantime, the Newent Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP), which must sit alongside and in general conformity with the FoDDC’s Local Plan, needs to make progress in its own right.

The Steering Group of the Newent NDP will continue to consider the identified needs of Newent as a town and parish. We now have the benefit of a professional planner to help write the policies which will form our plan.

The FoDDC’s draft Local Plan for 2026-41 as it stands is an outline. It recognizes Newent’s need for more infrastructure, retail, employment opportunities, community buildings, access to transport and green spaces. It also acknowledges the importance of linking the new development to the historic town centre. However, the detail is lacking at this stage.

Newent’s own plan, the NDP, is there to give a voice to the people who live, work or study in Newent and to provide detailed guidance to the planners as to local needs and wishes. Since the pre-Covid Public Consultation in October 2019, the Steering Group has been busy collecting more evidence in the form of surveys and from other sources. Soon the policy writing will start and there will be further public consultation to ask if members of the public agree with our findings.

If you care about Newent’s future, please come and talk to us. The NDP Steering Group meets every third Wednesday of the month and welcomes new members and volunteers from the community of Newent. Its membership includes town councillors and members of the community. The venue can vary so please contact newentndp@gmail.com for details. More information can be found on our website at: https://www.newentourfuture.co.uk/