MR King (letter of October 6) has clearly not visited Tutshill recently. There has been extensive development in the village over the last decade. In particular, over 80 dwellings have been built on the Bigstone Meadow site, many of which are 'affordable housing'.

Smaller scale housing development is continuing at present in Tutshill village and Tidenham parish.

In addition, the Forest of Dean District Council's Core Strategy is for a further 90-95 houses to be built in Tutshill and Sedbury over the next 12 years on land already identified.

Forty per cent of of this development will be affordable housing. This plan is both sustainable and commensurate with the size and infrastructure of the village.

In contrast, Gladman's plan represents the worst type of speculative development carried out for the financial benefit of the property developers rather than for the benefit of the local community.

The proposed housing estate is outside the village boundary and on greenfield land that has not been identified by the district council for development.

The excessive scale of the development will immediately increase the population of the village by approximately 10 per cent putting further strain on the already stretched transport, healthcare and education infrastructure which Chepstow and Monmouthshire provide to the community.

Gladstone's planning application is neither responsible nor sustainable, and, as it flies in the face of the council's Core Strategy it will surely be rejected.

– Paul Roberts, Tutshill.