The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds say domestic cats from a new town in Churcham would be a risk to the protected birds at Highnam Woods
The RSPB has raised serious concerns over plans for 2,000 homes in Churcham. They say nightingales, which nest near or on the grounnd, are highly vulenrable to domestic cat predation.(Image: Inge Wallumrød/iStock/)
There are serious concerns domestic cats could kill and wipe out nightingales in an ancient Gloucestershire woodland if plans for a new 2,000-home town across the road get the go-ahead.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) reserve at Highnam Woods near Gloucester supports an important population of the small perching bird which is best known for its powerful and beautiful song.
Nightingales are a red listed species due to declines in their national population of around 90 per cent over the last half-century and the last census conducted in 2013 revealed that only 5,550 singing males remain in the UK, according to the RSPB.
They say annual surveys done at Highnam Woods suggest the population is centred on the southern section and numbers have declined from 20 singing males in 2001 to two in 2025.
And they are particularly concerned about the potential for a new town just south of the site on the other side of the A40 in Churcham which is being considered part of the Forest of Dean District Council’s draft blueprint for development over the next 20 years.
The assumed increase in domestic cats associated with the new homes are a particular threat to the ground-nesting bird, according to the RSPB.
“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 their official response to the Local Plan consultation.
Entrance to Highnam Woods Nature Reserve near Gloucester.(Image: Pauline E/Geograph)
“Other effects, such as increased levels of anthropogenic noise and lighting are also likely to impact nightingale behaviour and breeding success.”
They also say in the letter that a UK study in 2014 found that buffers between important wildlife sites and where cat ownership was permitted is needed to avoid impacts.
“We would therefore consider any residential development within this distance from Highnam Woods to be introducing an unacceptable level of risk”.
The conservation charity also points out in their letter that the District Council was one of the first rural councils to declare a climate and ecological emergency.
The draft local plan proposes 2000 homes south of the A40 in Churcham.(Image: FoDDC)
And they say it must now carefully consider whether there are less damaging locations for new housing in the district.
“If this site is allocated in the Local Plan, it will be necessary to demonstrate that it can be delivered in a way that benefits rather than damages nature,” they said.
“We consider that the scale of measures required to avoid and mitigate impacts on ancient woodland habitats and the population of breeding nightingale would introduce significant constraints on the proposal that would make a development of the scale sought unviable.”
An RSPB spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that Highnam Woods is an important site for nightingales, a woodland priority species that is in serious decline across the UK.
Around 2,000 homes could be built between the railway line and A40 in Churcham.(Image: Carmelo Garcia)
“The proposed housing development near this site could significantly increase the presence of domestic pets like cats within the woodland, which could have a damaging impact on the local Nnghtingale population,” they said.
“We will continue engaging with the council and housing developers to raise our concerns and discuss ways to reduce impacts on local wildlife.”
A public consultation on the draft local plan ended on March 18 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.