GLOUCESTERSHIRE will have to take an extra 7,800 homes,

ministers announced today.

A development blueprint published by the Government today

confirms proposals for more than 50,000 new houses to be built

in the county over the next two decades, despite warnings over

flooding and the credit crunch.

It would see another 7,800 homes added in Gloucestershire

from the original draft regional spatial strategy , bringing

the total for the period 2006-2026 to 56,400.

This is despite warnings that government efforts to help the

flood recovery would be “rendered worthless” if thousands of

houses were built in vulnerable areas.

There had also been calls for housing figures in

Gloucestershire to be revised downwards because of the global

economic downturn.

A 12 week public consultation now gets underway on the

Government proposals for additional housing, ending on Friday

October 17.

It is planned to publish the final planning document before

the end of the year.

The proposals unveiled by the Government support those of an

independent panel under which Cheltenham urban area's total

would be cut from 8,500 houses to 8,100 but Tewkesbury would

see a massive hike from 10,500 to 14,600.

Gloucester sees no change from 11,500, while it is proposed

to increase the number of new houses in Stroud by 2,400 to

9,100.

Cotswold sees a rise of from 6,000 to 6,900, while in Forest

of Dean there are proposals for another 800 new homes, taking

the total to 6,200.