Concerns cats could wipe out birds if homes built

There are concerns that domestic cats could wipe out a species of bird in an ancient woodland if plans for a new 2,000-home town go ahead.

Land south of Highnam Woods, an RSPB nature reserve, on the A40 at Churcham is being considered by the Forest of Dean District Council for development over the next 20 years.

The RSPB said annual surveys at Highnam Woods suggested the population of nightingales, a red-listed ground-nesting species, is centred on the southern section of the woodland - the part nearest the proposed development.

Council leader Adrian Birch previously said the new housing target had been imposed by the government and was nearly double the number previously needed.

The council also plans to build 3,500 homes near the A417 in Redmarley D'Abitot.

According to the RSPB, Highnam Woods supports an "important population" of nightingales which are best known for their song, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The national population of the small perching bird has declined by 90% in the past 50 years and the last census conducted in 2013 found only 5,550 singing males remain in the UK, the RSPB said.

The charity said it was concerned an increase in domestic cats associated with the new town in Churcham would pose a particular threat to the ground-nesting bird.

"As nightingales nest on or near to the ground, they are highly vulnerable to the indirect effect associated with urbanisation, including domestic cat predation and recreational disturbance," the RSPB said in its official response to the Local Plan consultation.

It said an increase in noise and light pollution from the development were "also likely to impact nightingale behaviour and breeding success".

It said: "We would therefore consider any residential development within this distance from Highnam Woods to be introducing an unacceptable level of risk."

The government announced in 2024 that it wanted to build 1.5m new homes across the country by 2029.

A public consultation on the draft local plan ended on 18 March and it is now expected to be debated by councillors before a final version is submitted for examination by a planning inspector in the autumn.

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