A LANDMARK plan which will map out where houses are built in the Stroud district for the next 16 years has been unanimously passed by councillors tonight.

Cheers and a round of applause broke out as district councillors united in support of adopting the Stroud District Council Local Plan after five years of work.

The plan will function both as a defence against unwanted, unsustainable development and as a support to development in areas deemed most appropriate for housing.

Leader of the district council and councillor for Dursley Geoff Wheeler said: “The plan came into force last night as soon as we took the decision to adopt it.

“Fundamentally it means that we can plan development within the district in a structured and controlled way to maximise economic growth and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

“We’re the first council in Gloucestershire to have an up-to-date local plan in place and it will allow us to strategically plan where development should take place rather than fight off speculative applications where it shouldn’t.”

In recent years councils across the country have found it difficult to defend against large housing applications in areas they did not consider suitable, when they have not had a local plan in place.

The newly approved Local Plan, which encourages at least 11,400 homes to be built over the 25-year period between 2006 and 2031, identifies how many homes should be built and their locations.

The number includes over 7,700 homes which have already been built or have planning permission and 4,200 homes to be developed on sites identified in the plan. This includes the site off Box Road in Cam where an application for 450 homes is to be submitted in the next few weeks, as reported in the Gazette this week. 

On average, 470 homes need to be built each year over the next 16 years to accommodate the expected needs of the district.

The plan also supports the development of 58 hectares of employment land over the plan period to meet local job forecasts and identifies a range of new sites to meet business needs.

Chairman of the council’s environment committee Cllr Simon Pickering said: “Adoption of the plan is great news allowing us to plan effectively for future growth.

“The draft plan involved some difficult choices, meaning that not everyone was going to be happy with the outcome. Now that it has met the demands of the government and been approved it’s time to get behind it and make the best out of the housing and employment opportunities it will bring forth.”

To view the complete Stroud District Local Plan visit www.stroud.gov.uk/localplan