Have your say on blueprint for more than 43,020 county homes

PEOPLE are being asked to have their say on a new major blueprint for more than 43,020 homes which could see new towns created in Gloucestershire.

- Carmelo GARCIA Local Democracy Reporter

Research was published on Monday detailing how Gloucester and the boroughs of Cheltenham and Tewkesbury borough could grow over the next 20 years.

And the consultation on the strategic and local plan, which is being worked on for Tewkesbury and Cheltenham Borough Council as well as Gloucester City Council, is now open for residents to have their say.

The plan will seek to allocate where new housing and employment sites will be created across the three districts.

Cheltenham needs to plan for more than 16,400 homes while Gloucester and Tewkesbury have a target of 14,000 and 12,600 respectively.

Of the 43,020 total needed, plans are already in place for 18,000 homes meaning the current total required across the whole area is around 25,000 new dwellings.

The plan also involves finding space for 70 to 210 hectares of employment land.

There are four overall spatial options being considered.

The first option would see a substantial amount of new housing along a transport corridor with new routes and hubs.

This would concentrate development around Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury and up to three new towns.

This option considers development options regardless of the green belt which is a designated area of countryside around Gloucester and Cheltenham that is protected from most development to stop urban sprawl.

And this proposal could see 2,500 homes built between the A40/A48 near Churcham, Boddington and east of Swindon Village respectively.