Two new towns could be built to help fulfil a Gloucestershire district's housing requirement of approximately 13,200 homes.
District council leaders in the Forest of Dean are set to recommend their strategy for the area's new development blueprint.
Their preferred approach for the new local plan, which would run until 2045, involves building one or two new settlements whilst concentrating housing and employment development in the main towns.
The proposed hybrid strategy would also include modest growth in larger villages and villages.
The revised local plan strategy, which is scheduled for consideration by the Green Party cabinet on November 6, has received mixed reactions from other groups within the authority.
The council's new housing requirement has risen from 6,600 dwellings over a 20-year plan period to a minimum of 12,000 over a comparable period, or 13,200 dwellings over the revised 22-year plan period recently consulted upon.
The Independents oppose new settlements, whilst Conservatives maintain the concept has been widely rejected by residents.
Reform º£½ÇÊÓƵ councillors argue the Government's new housing allocation should be challenged at every opportunity.
The Labour group, however, supports the construction of new homes, citing an unmet need, particularly for affordable housing, in the Forest.
Labour leader Jacob Sanders (Cinderford West) said he and his party colleagues are "well aware of the unmet need for housing affecting our constituents".
"We support the building of new homes, with a particular emphasis on affordable new homes, to meet those needs."
However, Conservative group leader Clayton Williams (Hartpury and Redmarley) warned that if the local plan receives approval "the most significant legacy of this Green administration will be turning large parts of our beautiful and unique environment into concrete".
He argued that the concept of new towns has faced widespread rejection from voters, with numerous candidates who opposed a single settlement securing election.
"Despite this, the Green administration, with the support of the Labour Government are quite literally ploughing ahead with the option they have always preferred of tearing up green field, prime agricultural land to build two new towns in the District and expand other settlements too. New towns that this report doesn't even guarantee will have the vital infrastructure needed to support them," he said.
Progressive Independents leader Julia Gooch (Newent and Taynton) suggested the new homes target for the Forest of Dean could have been handled more effectively.
Her group maintains the previous proposal of designating Lydney as the primary location for new housing, with enhanced transport connections serving as a Forest Gateway, should be implemented.
"New settlements, heavily weighted in terms of environmental demands, are a Green Party staple and have been an ego trip for a number of Green Cabinet members for some years," she said. "They are using the increased numbers to further steer the position of the council.
"They will not deliver the housing needed, affordable social housing will prove to be unviable, and more rural areas will suffer even more than they currently do."
Nevertheless, Council leader Adrian Birch (G, Tidenham) said the district's housing target has been nearly doubled by the Government – a decision they have challenged through an appeal.
He emphasised that an approved local plan is essential, otherwise the council would face restricted powers over where development takes place.
"We know this is a major challenge for a largely rural and environmentally sensitive area like ours," he said.
He added that the full council will debate how to proceed on 13 November, alongside cabinet discussions this week.
"These meetings will consider options put forward by the planning team, based on the summer consultation and an assessment of sustainability criteria to determine the most suitable approaches," he said.
"We have not allocated specific sites yet.
"Any delay in this process would risk missing the programme agreed by members earlier this year, meaning the local plan would not be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in time and approval could be delayed before the council ceases to exist, due to local government reorganisation in 2028.
"Our priority remains to produce a local plan that meets Government requirements in the most sustainable way possible, while reflecting local views and protecting the character of the Forest."
