Gloucestershire residents have blasted the launch of a strategy to protect nature as a new blueprint for development could see a 3,500-home new town near the Malvern Hills.

Forest of Dean District Council has completed a public consultation on its new Nature and Climate Emergency Strategy 2026 – 2040.

This sets out commitments to embed nature recovery and climate resilience into planning, as well as empower local communities to shape the district’s future.

But the council is also considering plans for new settlements off the A40 at Churcham and A417 in Redmarley.

The authority has been mandated by the Government to find land for around 13,000 new homes to be built over the next 20 years.

To try and meet this target they believe it is better to have sustainably designed new settlements with the necessary infrastructure rather than the same number of homes being spread across the district.

United Against Glynchbrook campaigners are up in arms over the potential for a new 3,500-home town near junction two of the M50.

They say the council’s own assessments found that it would be “unlikely” to meet the criteria for sustainable development.

The assessment warned Glynchbrook would cause “landscape harm”, would fail to offer “low carbon access to services” and has “floodzones” running throughout the proposed site.

In contrast, the council’s nature and climate strategy calls for “net zero development” and commits to ensuring that “planning applications for carbon intensive or highly environmentally impactful developments” are appropriately responded to.

Dawn Munn, 62, a layout designer, said: “The council asking residents to get involved with their nature and climate strategy I find a little bit insulting, in all honesty.

“The council is asking local people to engage with a strategy to protect climate and nature, while simultaneously planning Glynchbrook – a development that their own report says will harm our natural landscape and the environment.”

“I want the council to succeed and protect the environment, I just hope they recognise that their Glynchbrook plan does the opposite and they scrap it.”

Another local resident, Andrew Elliott, 64, said: “The council wants to know what I think about climate change and nature? I think climate change is an emergency and we must protect nature.

“But clearly the council doesn’t agree. They’re tarmacking the green belt on the edge of the Malvern Hills, to build a total carpark of a new town. You can’t call yourself green if you behave like these councillors have behaved.”

“It makes my blood boil and everyone I’ve told about this climate consultation is seething too. Why are the council asking us to contribute to a new environmental strategy when they won’t even apply it to their own local plan?”

Climate emergency cabinet member Chris McFarling (G, St Briavels) declined to comment.

Councillors will assess evidence received during the public consultation on their local plan, which includes Glynchbrook, before deciding whether it will be adopted.