Three Gloucestershire councils to work together on housing plan

Opponents said the strategy would 'wipe out a huge amount of greenbelt land'

Three councils in Gloucestershire have agreed to work together on plans that will see 33,000 homes built - including some on greenbelt land.

Gloucester City Councillors voted for the Joint Core Strategy (JCS) which had already been approved by Cheltenham and Tewkesbury borough councillors.

Next month a public consultation begins on where to build the 33,000 houses.

The JCS document looks at the need and location for housing, employment and support infrastructure up to 2031.

It will examine where to build the homes across Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury.

'Greenbelt land'

It also considers policy relating to roads, schools, community facilities, flooding and the greenbelt - defining what developers can and cannot do in the area.

At a meeting of Gloucester City Council on Thursday evening, the proposal was carried by a majority of members.

But campaigners against the plan are questioning the need for the number of homes and claim the strategy would "wipe out a huge amount of greenbelt land".

The JCS looked at each section of greenbelt in the area and graded its importance.

While it accepted the bulk of the greenbelt stopped "urban sprawl", and Cheltenham, Gloucester and Bishop's Cleeve from merging, it noted areas which made a "limited contribution" and so had a potential to be built on.

The government will make the final decision in July next year, with the plan due to be adopted in August.