Controversial plans to build thousands of homes in the city were approved by Gloucester councillors. The green light was given to the housing plan which will see more than 6,000 new homes built on greenland sites on the outskirts of Gloucester over the next 18 years.
Gloucester City Council gave the strategy it has been working on with its Cheltenham and Tewkesbury counterparts approval to go out to consultation from October.
Gloucester City Councillor Mary Smith (L, Matson and Robinswood), said: “We are going to have to be realistic about the greenbelt sites.
The city councillors were the last to give the scheme which will see 33,449 homes built across the three districts by 2031.
The go-ahead was given by Tewkesbury and Cheltenham in recent weeks despite major criticisms from campaigners.
The scheme to make up for the county’s housing shortfall includes 3,075 new homes on land between the A38 and Imjin Barracks at Innsworth; 845 homes on greenbelt in north Churchdown (at the bottom of Gloucestershire Airport’s runway), and 638 at south Churchdown, on either side of the A40 approaching Elmbridge Court.
But critics are asking what infrastructure will be put in place to accommodate the new residents.
Local Authorities will have to address questions about how Gloucestershire’s roads, schools and health services will cope under added pressure and where extra jobs will come from.