Rushcliffe new homes plan cut by 5,000
The number of new homes planned for a Nottinghamshire borough has been cut by the local authority.
Rushcliffe Borough Council was told by the previous Labour government to plan for 15,000 homes by 2026.
The Conservative-run council has since drawn up a local plan and reduced the figure to just below 10,000 - some of which will be built on greenbelt land.
Rushcliffe Borough Council leader Neil Clarke said using some green belt was unavoidable.
Under the proposals, about 1,500 homes will be built near the villages of East Leake, Keyworth, Radcliffe-on-Trent and Ruddington.
The homes will have to be built on greenbelt sites around the villages, apart from in East Leake, the council said.
The exact locations will be determined after a public consultation.
Mr Clarke said: "We have had to allocate some small areas, in fact less than 2%, of the greenbelt area.
"We've used all our brownfield sites and there's no other land that can be allocated."
Other areas chosen for housing developments include at Sharphill Woods, near Edwalton; the old Cotgrave Colliery; land to the north of Bingham; and the former RAF Newton site.
The council said it was also looking at land to the south of Clifton for new homes, subject to improvements to the A453 being approved.
In March, campaigners in Bingham said plans to build 1,000 new homes could ruin the character of the town.
Bingham Community Concern said the proposals would create traffic problems and use valuable agricultural land.