A decision on controversial plans for homes which were built without proper planning permission in a Forest village has been pushed back.

Housing developers want retrospective permission for a pair of semi-detached homes on a plot in Redmarley.

The site in Rock Meadow was granted planning permission in April 2022 for the erection of nine homes to be built on the site.

However, the approved scheme was made up of seven houses and two flats. One on the ground floor and another first floor.

The homes were not all built according to the approved plan and instead a pair of three-bed semi-detached houses have been erected in the place of the two approved flats along with a single home leading to a total of eight homes instead of nine on the site.

Forest of Dean District Council planners considered the proposals, which included a legal agreement for three properties to be sold at a 45 per cent discount in perpetuity for subsequent sales.

Jeff Wheeler, chairman of Redmarley Parish Council, said they have not had an opportunity to comment on the latest plans.

And claimed there is a hurry to get the proposals “pushed through” on behalf of the developer.

He said the site was outside the settlement boundary and was granted permission “after threats”.

“Along came this application which is outside the settlement boundary and is unsustainable,” he said.

“But consent was given following threats made by the development officer about refusing it.

“However, the planning committee agreed to grant planning permission but only if the developer complied with the condition to provide three affordable homes in the form of one bed flats and a two bed house.”

He said the parish council was previously informed that affordable housing providers didn’t have the capacity to take one and two beds and no offers were apparently received.

However, he said new information came to light on the day of the committee meeting suggesting Wydean Housing had made an offer in March last year.

He said the financial aspects the developer finds himself in was not relevant for the planning committee

“The situation is because of his own greed for a higher offer when he should have accepted the original offer from Wyedean Housing Association and built the housing he had permission for and the district council so desperately needed.”

He said the parish council had requested the application be delayed until the June meeting to give them enough time to consider the latest information on the plans.

“This was refused by the planning officer.

“There is a real hurry by the officer to push this through on behalf of the developer and this is not following the correct due process.”

Benjamin James, one of the directors of BDLM Limited, said they are a small developer which was established in 2019.

He said: “Following approval we immediately sought out registered housing providers, contacting Two Rivers Housing as well as Rural Housing Association. Both these companies are operating in Redmarley already.”

The developer persisted contracting the two housing providers but despite letters and emails they received no response, he said.

After which in July 2023, they told the council’s strategic housing officer that they were struggling to obtain a provider and sought advice.

They recommended Wyedean Housing Association and it took six months for them to receive an acknowledgement from the company, he said.

However, the offer was “vastly below the valuation of the site”. “The offer was £305,000.

“The cost to build these houses alone was £488,000. That does not include the land purchase cost which would be an additional £50,000 per dwelling.”

He said the cost of the homes is well in excess of £600,000 and he said it was unreasonable to expect his small company to “lose around £300,000 for Wyedean’s gain”.

Mr James said he reached out the council’s housing officer for advice and they suggested they could convert to an alternative affordable dwelling type.

He said the discounted market dwellings would only mean a loss of £35,000 per home as opposed to over £100,000 per property.

“We are a very small company compared to the likes of Bovis, Bloor or even Bell Homes.

“It was new ground and we relied heavily on advice from the council to reach a sensible end to this development.”

He said they began to develop the site in March 2024 after advice they could relinquish the three units as affordable market dwellings within their control.

Development manager Clive Reynolds told councillors that while officers have had meetings and sought to advise the applicant on a way forward it is a decision for the committee

“We have not agreed anything before the planning committee,” he said. “We have advised on what might be appropriate.

“Allegations that this is a stitched-up, foregone conclusion, done deal, fait accompli, ultimately, as with any application, we often negotiate on things to make schemes where we consider acceptable.

“But with one coming to committee the decision is yours as members and not one for officers.”

Ward member Phil Burford (I, Hartpury and Redmarley) said he had received more calls and correspondence from the parish council than any other in 18 years.

He said the plans should not be decided on the day and the parish council should be given an opportunity to respond to the planning application changes.

The developer has built something other than what he had permission for, he said.

“This is the developer’s risk, it’s foolish,” he said. “We are told this developer is nearly bankrupt.

“But this is not our problem. I’m afraid it’s harsh but that is his problem.”

However, Cllr Clayton Williams (C, Hartpury and Redmarley) said he couldn’t disagree more.

He said he had no contact from the parish council.

“I was down in the big office at the Rose and Crown on Sunday afternoon and had two young couples with young children who wanted to purchase these market affordable houses,” he said.

“People in Redmarley want to buy houses in Redmarley. We’ve got really good working families.

“I know these couples live by Redmarley and we need to get this application going.”

During the debate it was revealed that the developer is in a drainage dispute with Two Rivers Housing, which some councillors felt may explain why they have not had any offers from them for the homes.

Chairman Dave Wheeler (G, Newland and Sling) said: “On site, we turned 90 degrees and saw a Two Rivers estate that was directly adjacent to the proposed three units.

“It made it rational to my mind that the same housing provider would take over.”

Cllr Andrew McDermid (G, Lydney East) said a council officer’s “bombshell revelation” suggested “the fly in the ointment was the drainage dispute between the applicant and Two Rivers”.

Vice-chairman Gill Moseley (LD, Newent and Taynton) said it was a difficult application.

“The committee voted to defer the proposals for a month to allow the parish council to make representations on the application and its various amendments.