Consultation over where 35,700 new homes should go

Housing development over the next 20 years is set out in the plan

Residents are being invited to give their views on how housebuilding should be carried out across Gloucestershire over the next 20 years.

The Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury strategic local plan, which sets out the vision for development across the three districts, is out for consultation.

About 35,700 new homes are set to be built across the region over the next two decades.

Concentrating new homes in the main urban centres of Cheltenham and Gloucester, developing hamlets, and a new garden village are among the options being considered.

To meet the housing target for the three districts it is estimated that 600 homes will need to be built every year in each area.

Gloucester has been allocated 13,620 homes, there are 11,140 planned in Tewkesbury and Cheltenham is set to have a total of 10,940 under the plans according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Residents are being asked to give their opinions on six options:

• Urban concentration: Development through intensive use of urban sites in Cheltenham and Gloucester, including higher buildings in concentrated areas and conversion or rebuilding of retail and town centre properties.

• Urban extension: Homes built as extensions to built-up areas of Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury, which could include greenbelt land.

• Urban extension avoiding the green belt.

• New strategic settlements: The development of one or more new settlements of a minimum of 4,000 homes. A potential site would be Boddington, which lies between the A38 and M5 corridor.

• Rural dispersal: spreading growth widely across rural areas by encouraging development at many existing settlements, including hamlets and villages.

• Sustainable transport: building new homes along existing and potential high-frequency public transport, walking and cycling routes.

People can have their say on the plans until 12 March.