WHITECROFT has been branded an ugly village by the district council's second in command of planning.

Deputy planning chief James Bevan said the village in the heart of the Forest is too industrial.

The Lydney councillor made his controversial comments as district councillors discussed plans to build 49 homes on the old Vencel Resil site.

He spoke out after some colleagues criticised the scheme which he believed would improve the village.

"This is quite a flagship design," he said. "It ticks all the boxes and I only wish these developers had the MMC site in Lydney.

"Whitecroft as a village is ugly. There is nothing nice about Whitecroft at all.

"These developers have listened to us and we have got a quality application."

He described a Whitecroft bridge as 'useless oversight' which brought HGVs through the centre of the village.

"I am not being derogatory about the people of Whitecroft," he added. "I am just saying this ugly village will be uplifted and pushed into a new era."

Developers have been working with officials since last June when councillors turned down a bid to build 58 homes on the site.

West Dean parish council still object and say the village needs two and three bedroom homes, not four bedroom, and developers have ignored their wishes.

Councillors also raised concerns that it only included 20 percent affordable houses which were clustered in a terrace in the corner of the site.

But planners gave Harrow Estates the go-ahead and planning chairman Terry Glastonbury defended Whitecroft.

He said: "The Forest is a mix of industrial and housing, but I do not think that is ugly."