CALLS for a new road crossing over the River Severn have been renewed amid warnings that thousands of new homes planned for the Forest of Dean could place further pressure on the area’s transport network.

The long-running debate over another Severn crossing has resurfaced following disruption on the A40 at Over, near Gloucester, where major repair works have caused significant congestion.

Forest of Dean District Council is expected to have to identify land for around 13,000 new homes over the next 20 years under Government housing targets, prompting fresh questions over whether existing road infrastructure could cope with the additional demand.

Westbury-on-Severn councillor Simon Phelps is among those calling for transport infrastructure to be considered alongside the proposed housing growth.

He warned that existing congestion in Chepstow was already a “nightmare”, while also highlighting problems on routes between Coleford and Monmouth.

The Forest currently relies heavily on a relatively small number of routes connecting the district with Gloucester, Monmouthshire and the wider motorway network.

Recent restrictions at Over have highlighted the vulnerability of those connections, with disruption to the A40 having knock-on effects for motorists travelling between the Forest and Gloucester.

Ideas for another crossing of the Severn have been discussed for decades but have failed to progress, largely because of the enormous cost of constructing a new bridge and the associated road network.

Among the options previously suggested has been a crossing close to Minsterworth, potentially providing another connection towards Gloucester and the M5.

Another proposal would follow the approximate route of the former Severn Railway Bridge between Sharpness and Purton.

The railway bridge once linked the Forest side of the Severn with Sharpness but was damaged beyond repair after two barges collided with it in 1960. It was eventually demolished during the 1960s.

Any modern replacement would represent a major infrastructure project and there is currently no confirmed scheme to build another crossing.

However, supporters argue the scale of development expected across the Forest means the idea should again be considered as part of longer-term transport planning.

The debate also comes amid continued concern about congestion around Chepstow, which is a major route out of the southern Forest towards the M48 and South Wales.

With thousands of additional homes potentially required across the district, councillors have warned development cannot be considered in isolation from roads and other infrastructure.

The renewed calls mean the prospect of another Severn crossing, an idea repeatedly discussed but never delivered, could once again become part of the debate over the Forest of Dean’s future growth.

The discussion is likely to be significant for communities in the southern Forest, where residents already depend on routes through Lydney, Chepstow and the existing crossings for work and travel.

It also raises the wider question of whether housing allocations should be accompanied by investment in strategic roads rather than relying on infrastructure already under pressure.

No funding or proposal for a new bridge has been announced, meaning the renewed campaign remains at an early stage for now.