With housing demand and infrastructure expansion on the rise, nature across Gloucestershire faces undeniable pressure. Our mission is not to oppose development (unless detrimental to nature recovery) - the need for housing is clear - but to make sure nature has a seat at the top table.  

The local planning system in brief 

The UK planning system regulates the use and development of land, from housing to nature reserves, and operates at both local and national levels. 

At the local level, development is guided by a local plan, which sets out a 15 to 20-year vision for how land is used, taking into consideration growth, housing need, employment, infrastructure, and environmental protection.  

Local Planning Authorities prepare these plans and are the primary decision-makers on most planning applications, including the development of new towns. In Gloucestershire, there are several local plans currently being revised (as of April 2026). This includes...  

• The Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury Strategic Local Plan (SLP)
• The Cotswolds District Local Plan,
• The Forest of Dean District Local Plan
• The Stroud District Local Plan.  

As part of the local plan preparation process, the authorities consult on options for where new development could go and the public and other organisations and bodies have a chance to have their say. 

GWT’s involvement in the local plan process 

We understand that when large new settlements are proposed there can be significant concern, especially around local infrastructure capacity and the impact on existing amenities and services.  

While these are valid concerns, they are not topics that we will comment on unless they have a direct impact on nature – like the construction of a road to support a new town affecting an area identified as vital for nature recovery. 

From a legislative perspective, we hold very little sway in decision-making, and our role is purely influential. As a result, our focus is specifically on ensuring development avoids harm to wildlife and supports nature recovery wherever possible.  

Delivering new housing whilst supporting nature recovery in Gloucestershire is a challenge and there are conflicts. For example, large areas of the Forest of Dean district are a vital and significant national stronghold for bats, making parts of it unsuitable for development. Yet very ambitious housing targets have been handed out to each council by central Government and that level of development must go somewhere within each council area.  

If designed well, and located in areas that are not ecologically sensitive or vital for nature recovery, large new settlements can provide more benefits for nature than lots of smaller developments and settlement extensions.  

This is because green infrastructure can be developed in a more meaningful and strategic way, creating large, cohesive new wildlife corridors and different habitats to support a variety of species on land which may once have been intensively farmed with minimal benefits to nature. That said, they can also be very detrimental for nature if designed badly.   

GWT has worked and continues to work with local authorities and developers to help ensure that green infrastructure plans for proposed sites are effective and multi-functional for both people and nature - this includes for new towns and communities. We have fed into various consultations, for example, on plans for Elms Park in Northwest Cheltenham and the North Ashchurch Garden Community near Tewkesbury.   

We encourage developers to use green infrastructure frameworks, such as ‘Building with Nature’. This ensures they are following a thorough and robust set of standards, to deliver positive outcomes for people, nature and climate on these sites. GWT can carry out Building with Nature assessments for developments and can support developers or local authorities with this.  

What you can do to help 

It is so important that when large-scale developments such as new towns are in the planning phase, an accurate representation of the nature on these sites is taken into account at the earliest stages. Recording and reporting sightings of different species (to the Gloucestershire Centre for Environmental Records, or on the iRecord app) really helps with this and is something we strongly encourage. Strong evidence also helps councils to make the case to central Government for adjustments to the housing figures if they are unachievable due to valid constraints. 

If you live in or know an area that has a development proposed, such as a new town, and have ideas on what you would like to see there in terms of green space and for nature, please respond to the local authorities’ consultations to let them know your views.  

For more information on nature and the planning system, please refer to our website or get in touch.