There is a “golden opportunity” to scrap controversial plans for new towns in the Forest with the prospect of a target to build almost 13,000 new homes being slashed.

Changes to national planning policy mean the Green-led Forest Council is looking to develop a blueprint which allocates housing land over 10 years instead of 20 with a reduced target of around 8,000 homes.

Land at Glynchbrook near Redmarley, was identified as a site as part of the council’s proposed Local Plan along with a new 2000-home settlement next to the A40 in Churcham.

Councillors pulled the development blueprint in June and have agreed to start the process again under a new framework.

The Forest’s Labour MP Matt Bishop, opposition councillors and planning experts had opposed the council’s previous strategy which included new settlements.

“We absolutely need new homes in the Forest of Dean, particularly genuinely affordable homes for local people,” Mr Bishop said.

“But they should be built sensibly, alongside the infrastructure and public services communities need, and development should be fairly and sustainably planned across the district.

“The government has now given the council an opportunity to think again. The Greens should take it, shorten the local plan, scrap Glynchbrook and come forward with a plan based on what is best for the whole Forest of Dean.”

County Councillor Gill Moseley (Lib Dem, Newent) welcomed the changes to national planning policy as “it hands the Forest of Dean District Council a golden opportunity to scrap Glynchbrook and deliver housing that is genuinely sustainable and in the interests of the local people”.

“The last Local Plan was obliged to meet an unreasonable housing target over a 20-year period. It was simply more than the district could absorb and pushed the Council towards drastic options like Glynchbrook that were never right for the area. The new NPPF changes all that.

“I would urge the council to plan over the shorter, 10-year period the new framework now allows. This would keep the annual housing requirement realistic and, crucially, deliverable.

District councillor and Chair of Churcham Parish Council John Francis (Ind, Huntley and Longhope) believes it is unlikely the new towns will proceed.

“This is going to be proved and discussed through council, but I would have thought with the, certainly the Churcham development with the problems highlighted by the lack of infrastructure,” he said.

Council leader Adrian Birch (Green, Tidenham) said the authority’s focus is now on developing a plan for the district which reflects the changes to national planning policy.

“The national standard method for calculating housing need remains unchanged and will continue to be used in preparing the new Local Plan,” he said.

“However, updated national planning policy allows for a shorter plan period of at least 10 years from adoption, meaning the overall housing requirement will be influenced by the length of the plan.

“As work progresses, key considerations will include identifying the most appropriate plan period and securing the infrastructure needed across the district to support additional housing.”