STROUD District Council voted to go ahead with its Local Plan – despite many councillors feeling “painted into a corner” by central government.

The newly approved housing figure for the district 11,200 includes 150 homes in the Stroud Valleys and 1,350 homes west of Stonehouse.

The intense debate that preceded the vote on Tuesday, December 9, saw many councillors give impassioned speeches on the plan, which was designed to stop developers having free reign on land in the area.

The Local Plan sets out the strategy for new housing, employment and community development within the district until 2031.

The council had agreed to ask the planning inspector to reconvene the examination of the plan after voting to add an additional 1,700 houses to the plan.

Much of the debate related to additional homes west of Stonehouse, with members who represent the Stonehouse ward claiming they felt “trapped between a rock and a hard place”.

Many backed the plan but said they did so with “heavy heart”, feeling that various constraints had rendered an ideal outcome impossible.

Cllr Steve Lydon, representative for Dursley, said: “We can be accused of a lot of things here but I think one thing we cannot be accused of is not putting the work in.

“I think we all feel we’ve been painted into a corner. It is with a heavy heart that many of us put this plan forward but we are practical people and we have to move forward.”

Cllr David Drew, who recently opened an office in Silver Street, Dursley, for his election campaign, was one of the plan’s few objectors.

He said: “I want a local plan but I want a local plan we can defend and one we can say we thought through properly.”

Cllr Keith Pearson said that the council had hired experts to advise them on complicated planning issues and at some point members had to have faith in those they had employed.

The draft plan has come up against opposition from members of the public who think the housing numbers are too high.

SDC leader Geoff Wheeler described the local plan as “crucial” and hoped reviewing processes would be underway immediately to ensure its success.