A SIX-week public consultation will begin in January following the district council's approval of the draft Local Plan.

The Cabinet voted to accept the document at a special meeting last week which details the district's housing plans and site preferences up to 2031.

The public can make comments and representations between January 16 and February 27.

During this period, the public will be able to view the document online and hard copies will also be available at the Cotswold District Council’s Trinity Road headquarters. Copies have also been sent to Town and Parish Councils.

Commenting on the outcome of the Cabinet Meeting, Councillor Nick Parsons, who is responsible for Forward Planning Matters, said: “After an extremely thorough analysis of complex and wide-ranging data and evidence by our forward planning team, we have reached the stage where the public can view the development proposals in detail. The feedback we receive can influence the final version of the Local Plan, which will serve as a blueprint for development up until 2031.

“To get to this stage of the Local Plan, our planners have been working closely with many stakeholders, including town and parish councils, local communities and landowners to help us define how we can best meet demanding government guidelines across a range of issues, including: sustainable housing development; creating employment opportunities; infrastructure improvements; and safeguarding environmental assets.

“Ahead of the forthcoming public consultation, we have compiled a list of facts to help people understand the underlying issues, and this will appear in the next copy of the Council’s Cotswold News magazine."

The draft states the total of new homes required in the district up to 2013 totals 7,500. It also states these new homes need to be distributed in the most sustainable places in the district. Seventeen key settlements have been identified. No green belt land will be developed. Some 80 per cent of the district is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and less than five per cent of the proposed new housing will be allocated on sites within it.

A new rural housing policy will allow for appropriate development in settlements with access to fewer services and facilities.

The cabinet states that, whilst it is impossible to prepare a plan which gains universal support, failure to conform with government planning guidelines would result in the Local Plan being rejected by the Secretary of State. An approved, up-to-date, Local Plan is essential when defending reasons for rejecting unwelcome development proposals.