A regeneration scheme in the centre of Coleford is being opposed by people in the town.

Forest of Dean District Council wants to create a "gateway to Coleford" on the former Lawnstone House council offices site in High Street.

The plan is to build ten flats with three commercial units, public space and gardens.

But Coleford Neighbourhood Development Plan Steering Group (CNDPSG) objects to the development proposal saying it would detract from the character and appearance of the streetscape.

It also claims the proposal would affect a garden that the emerging Coleford Neighbourhood Plan designates as a local green space and the primary delivery route would restrict the flow of traffic on High Street.

The Steering Group says the need for housing, which could be met elsewhere in Coleford, does not justify a layout that deviates from the council's own 'best solution'. It believes the proposal does not reflect the wishes of local people.

But in report to Forest of Dean District Council's Planning Committee next Tuesday the council's officers say: "The developed site would, of course, look very different from the vacant site. Empty land, particularly when covered in grass, is nearly always attractive. It can, however, set an impossible standard for development proposals to meet.

"On the whole, officers believe that the development proposal would make a positive contribution to the town centre. What is more, it would conserve the overall quality, if not the current composition, of the 'valued views' into and across the centre of Coleford."