AROUND 9,000 homes need to built on green belt land over the next 20 years to meet Warrington's development needs and 'support its new city aspirations'.

The council's executive board is set to approve the town's local plan 'preferred development option' (PDO) – which sets out the authority's proposed approach to meeting the borough's need for homes and jobs up until 2037 – at its meeting next Monday.

The PDO identifies four main areas of growth – the city centre, waterfront, garden city suburb and south west urban extension.

Together, these areas form a 'comprehensive plan' to secure the wider infrastructure required to address 'existing congestion, unlock major brownfield development sites and support the growth of Warrington as a whole'.

The local plan needs to allocate sufficient land for approximately 24,000 new homes and 381 hectares of employment land to meet Warrington's development needs.

Detailed work carried out by the authority has found that it is possible to deliver approximately 15,000 new homes and 129 hectares of employment land in existing urban areas.

This means that land will need to be released from the green belt to deliver around 9,000 new homes and 252 hectares for employment.

Council leader Cllr Terry O'Neill said: "Warrington's local plan is crucial in guiding our growth and development over the next 20 years, supporting our new city aspirations and ensuring we deliver the housing, business, jobs and infrastructure the borough needs.

"These proposals are the result of months of careful and considered planning, with a focus on delivering a sustainable future for Warrington.

"The vast majority of sites which have been put forward by developers are green belt sites.

"However, we have worked hard on not compromising the green belt and I believe this is reflected in the proposals.

"Most of the proposed sites are in urban areas, while the vast majority of our green belt will be saved and maintained for the next 30 years.

"At the same time, we recognise that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to capture the value uplift of undeveloped land and ensure this is invested in the infrastructure for the future of our borough."

The PDO also sets out the number of homes the council considers can be accommodated by each of the following green belt areas:

Lymm – 500 homes; Culcheth – 300 homes; Burtonwood – 150 homes; Winwick – 90 homes; Croft – 60 homes; Glazebury – 50 homes; Hollins Green – 40 homes.

Specific sites will be revealed at the next stage of the process.

In total the council received more than 150 submissions for its local plan 'call for sites', with the vast majority located in the green belt.

All the sites that have been highlighted will be published on July 18, once the consultation begins.

Under National Planning Policy Framework requirements, green belt can only be released under 'very special circumstances'.

Warrington's PDO – which council bosses insist will unlock strategic infrastructure, address existing issues of congestion and improve the quality of community facilities for existing and future residents – would meet these requirements.

If approved by the executive board, a comprehensive, eight-week, public consultation on the PDO will begin on July 18.

Officers will take on board consultation responses in working up the formal version of the local plan, which is anticipated to be published in February next year.

The housing requirement has increased since the previous consultation primarily due to the increase in Warrington's 'housing need figure'.

As part of the consultation, seven public events would be delivered in different parts of the borough to give residents the chance to get information, have their say and ask questions.

They would take place on:

Thursday 20 July at Winwick Leisure Centre, 4pm to 8pm

Tuesday 25 July at Bridgewater High School, lower hall site, 3pm to 8pm

Wednesday 2 August at Village Hotel, 3pm to 8pm

Wednesday 9 August at Birchwood Leisure Centre, 3pm to 8pm

Monday 14 August at Penketh High School, 3pm to 8pm

Tuesday 22 August at Lymm Village Hall, 3pm to 8pm

Thursday 7 September at Pyramid Centre, 3pm to 8pm

For further information head to warrington.gov.uk.