THE blueprint for keeping Forest of Dean house building development in line with government guidelines over the next eight year has been published for public comment.

The Allocations Plan is a sort of Doomsday Book for the future giving a detailed picture of how every spare plot of land might be developed to provide new housing.

But is also picks out sensitive tourist attractions that it wants to promote and expand including the Dean Forest Railway and the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal.

The plan supports the railway’s intentions of extending the trackbed from the current Parkend trailhead through to Cinderford with the eventual aim of re-introducing regular connections between Cinderford and Lydney.

It says: “Land will be safeguarded at Parkend (west of Cannop Road) for additional facilities and also at Lydney.

This policy safeguards land identified on the map at Parkend for the railway and expresses the plan’s intention to support the further development of the railway.

In addition the plan will support more generally the development of the railway itself and related facilities.

And in relation to the proposed restoration of the canal linking Gloucester and Hereford, it observes: “The reinstatement of the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal is supported by the plan and land is protected from other development in order to achieve this.

“The original route where it has not been subsequently obstructed and is not the subject of agreed diversions.

“The reinstatement of the canal may use alternative areas to those protected and may divert from the protected lines where there is agreement with the landowner to do so.

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.

“Overall the canal like other development will be expected to make a positive contribution to the area through which it passes especially in respect of its impact on the landscape, recreational benefits, biodiversity benefits and provision of green infrastructure."