A FIELD in Wotton-under-Edge will be sold to a housing developer to bring in much-needed funds for Stroud District Council.

The field in Fountain Crescent, which is already earmarked for housing, will be put on the market as SDC looks to make up for a huge reduction in funding provided by central government.

SDC is already in talks with a developer over the site, and councillors for Wotton are calling for more affordable homes to be created on the land.

It is not yet known how many homes the developer plans to build, and the company would have to secure planning permission, but the site will remain earmarked for housing.

An SDC spokesman said: “The plot at Fountain Crescent is currently under offer to a housing provider. As with all developments, it will have to go through the usual planning procedure.”

Fountain Crescent is not the only site SDC plans to sell, with Queen’s Court in Thrupp due to go and two others already on the market – Dryleaze Court, also in Wotton, and two properties in Ringfield Close in Nailsworth.

The Liberal Democrat group leader on the district council, Cllr Ken Tucker, who represents Wotton, said: “Wotton is a town where three and sometimes four family generations live in our community.

“What we need is some truly affordable housing, particularly for our younger generations, rather than the expensive four bedroom executive homes being proposed at Holywell Farm and off Symn Lane, behind the fire station.

“Some of the former garage sites around the town and elsewhere in the district will also be put up for sale and Cllr George Butcher (Lib Dem, Wotton and county council candidate for Dursley) and I will be campaigning for as many ‘affordable’ and housing association properties to be built on all these sites as possible.”

The sale of Fountain Crescent will provide funds for SDC to meet the costs of the government’s Right To Buy housing scheme elsewhere in the district.

The council was unable to finance the 70 per cent of development costs required to build its own social housing in Fountain Crescent.

SDC’s funding from central government will be halved in the next four years, from £7,394,000 to £3,741,000, and its overall budget deficit will reach £3.6million by 2020/21.