Rushcliffe housing plan 'could include green belt'

Green belt land in Nottinghamshire could be built on as part of plans for new housing, officials have confirmed.

While the previous government's targets for homes in Rushcliffe have been scrapped, the borough council is still looking for development land.

The authority insisted that while green belt was included in its plans, the amount was "very small".

Detailed proposals would be unveiled next month before going out to public consultation, officials said.

Public inquiry

The area had been given a target of 14,000 new homes by the Labour government but while this had gone, building would continue, the council said.

Rushcliffe's deputy chief executive, Paul Randle, admitted existing development land in the area was "full".

"I think we have always known that," he said. "The green belt is very tight in Rushcliffe.

"Therefore over the last few years when we have been planning for housing - whether it was the numbers from the previous government or this government - we have always recognised there was going to be some movement of the green belt. But it will probably be very small.

"Development is always a contentious issue but we have to remember there are lots of people living very comfortably in Rushcliffe in areas that were, until a few years ago, green belt land."

While declining to go into further detail, Mr Randle said the areas in question would be put before the council cabinet in November and full council in December.

The plans would then go out to public consultation before a public inquiry next year.