MORE than 250 new houses have been given the green light in Lydney after two schemes for 166 and 90 homes were approved.

The plan for 166 properties off the north-eastern end of Highfield Road was passed at yesterday’s (Tuesday, October 10) Forest Council planning meeting, pending a deal to pay more than £1m to help schooling, libraries, transport and air quality, and to protect the Severn Estuary.

Developer Bellway has also been given the go ahead to start work building the other 90 houses on adjoining land to the south, as part of a projected wider community of 750 new homes, to be built over the next five years.

It comes as the council puts the final touches to its Allocations Plan which will guide development in the district until 2026.

Councillors yesterday heard that the 166-home plan on the 6.95-hectare site comprises 58 four-bed, 55 three-bed, 18 five-bed, and 29 two-bed houses and six one-bedroom flats.

Ten of the two-bedroom homes will be bungalows, with 18 per cent of the development affordable housing.

The number of homes has increased by 48 per cent from a plan for 110 homes passed in 2014, but the density is still acceptable to planners.

As part of Edenstone Homes’ plan, the developer will have to

pay £178,293 towards pre-school education, £614,486 for primary schooling, £32,536 for libraries, £98,768 for the Lydney transport strategy and £24,873 towards the town’s public transport strategy.

Another £210 per dwelling – £34,800 – must be paid to help protect the Severn Estuary, while the developer has agreed to pay £201,950 to protect air quality in the town, which will include electric car charging points for each home with its own parking.

The Section 106 agreement also requires the equipping and upkeep of the play areas, the management of open spaces and allotments and the maintenance of an acoustic fence to dampen noise from the A48 road.

Drainage issues must also be satisfactorily addressed, after Lydney Town Council raised concerns over potential flooding in Lakeside Avenue.

Bellway’s 90-home development will be named Archers Walk and will include two, three and four-bedroom homes with the first available early next year.

Regional sales director Billie Oaten said Bellway was proud to be contributing to a “flagship new community” in the area.

“Lydney is a desirable location in which to live thanks to its proximity to the Forest of Dean, and we’re expecting these homes to be popular with home-hunters in the area.

“We’re hoping to start work on the first homes here shortly, and will hopefully be able to release the first homes here in early 2018.”

The council’s Cabinet will be asked tomorrow (Thursday) to recommend the full council accepts the main modi-

fications supported by a planning inspector at hearings in the summer.

When complete, the plan will provide for 330 homes a year to be built.

Among the modifications are an extension of a site at Southend Lane North in Newent to increase the capacity from 120 to 170 and the removal from the plan of an increased allocation proposed by the council at Mitcheldean.