Stroud plans garden villages and new railway station

Plans to build 3,900 homes, a secondary school and a new railway station, in two "garden villages", have been unveiled in Stroud.

Stroud District Council has published its revised local plan which is to be sent out for public feedback.

The council said every house built would have to be carbon neutral.

The authority said it was under pressure from the government to find land for 12,800 homes. It described that as a "significant challenge".

The new station in Sharpness will allow services to Cam and Gloucester.

If approved, there will be a village with 2,400 homes and a secondary school.

A second garden village is planned for Wisloe.

The local plan is a blueprint which plans the future of the district over the next 21 years, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Areas around Whaddon, Cam, Dursley, Stroud and Stonehouse may also see housing growth.

Smaller development sites will be considered at Berkeley, Minchinhampton, Nailsworth, Painswick, Brimscombe, King's Stanley, Kingswood, Leonard Stanley, North Woodchester and Thrupp.

The chair of the authority's environment committee, Simon Pickering, said: "As we have said before, Stroud District Council is under significant pressure from government to allocate land for development.

"If we do not, the council could lose some control of the planning process to government.

"The 12,800 homes target is the central government number driven by a high need and relatively high cost of housing, and with much of the district covered by the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and floodplain, that presents significant challenges."