A BID to topple the leader of the Forest Council and his Green administration had “several critical weaknesses” it was claimed.

The no confidence vote was tabled by Independent councillor John Francis at the meeting of the full council and centred on the Greens’ handling of the development of the Local Plan which will guide house-building over the next 20 years.

The motion was defeated by one vote.

Cllr Francis asserted that the public consultation phase of developing the plan was too late for councillors’ input to be meaningful.

There is widespread opposition to the suggestion of concentrating development in new villages at Glynchbrook and Churcham.

Cllr Birch said the suggestion by Cllr Francis to disperse the 12,000 homes which the government has said shoud be built around existing settlements was “not practical”.

In defending the administration, Cabinet member Cllr Chris McFarling Cllr Francis had produced no evidence to back his no confidence.

He said: “This motion makes a series of serious assertions, yet presents no supporting evidence.

“It claims that members have been excluded, ignored, or denied opportunities to contribute, but offers no substantiation.

“Nowhere does the motion identify any breach of the council's constitution or statutory requirements governing the preparation of the local plan.

“The motion presents a misunderstanding of the Local Plan process.

“Public consultation is precisely the stage at which input for members, communities, and parish councils, is sought.

“To claim that it is too late for meaningful involvement ignores the statutory purpose of consultation. “A vote of no confidence, is an exceptional step.

It requires clear evidence, demonstrable breaches and an objective basis.

“This motion, regrettably, offers none of these.”

Putting the motion, Councillor Francis said: “Members have been ignored and completely sidelined by the leader.

He said: “For the views of members in the formation of the Local Plan not be included, or even discussed, is to the detriment of our electorate. “It has led to an absence of any in-depth debate over the wider strategy, including the exploration of alternative options for site allocations needed to accommodate the unprecedented increase in the government's required target for house building in the Forest of Dean district.

“It's too late at the public consultation stage for members to have any meaningful input into shaping the proposals.

“It's undemocratic.”

Cllr Jacob Sanders (Lab, Cinderford West) it made no sense to put a confidence motion on the basis of lack of consultation during a public consultation.

“It's entirely appropriate for councillors, as local community champions, to marshal, mediate, encourage members of the public in their wards to take part in consultation.”

Cllr Jonathan Beeston (Con, Newent and Taynton) said the motion was an opportunity to restore public trust in the process.

“What changes is the opportunity to reset the tone and restore trust. “This is about restoring openness, restoring collaborative working, restoring confidence.”

The motion was defeated with nineteen votes against, eighteen votes and one abstention.