VIPS gathered earlier this week to cut the first sod to mark the beginning of building work on the former Federal Mogul site in Lydney.

The £16m MMC development is the first off the blocks in what is expected to become the largest building site in the Dean, with plans for a total of 1,200 houses plus a new primary school and leisure facilities.

When building work is completed on the Mogul site it will be a mixed development of 133 private and social houses, but is part of a two-part MMC project which may lead to the building of 600 new homes.

At the ceremonial sod cutting on March 2 were council representatives, councillors Patrick Moly­neaux, Dennis Riley, James Bevan and Derek Biddle. On the business side, representatives from MMC, Kier Partnership Homes which will build the affordable housing and the Bromford Group which will own and manage the affordable homes.