Plans for 47 zero carbon homes in the Tewkesbury district are expected to get the go-ahead today (October 17).

Newland Homes has put in a planning application for the 47 homes at Downfield Lane in Twyning. The plans are up for discussion by Tewkesbury Borough Council's planning committee.

The principle of building homes on the site has already received outline planning permission, but Newland Homes is looking for approval of the layout, appearance, landscaping and scale of the proposed development.

The plans will include 19 affordable homes and 28 homes for sale on the open market. The proposed layout of the site includes a mix of detached and semi-detached dwellings, bungalows, one and a half storey and two storey houses.

The proposed homes will be built from a mix of construction materials, although predominately brick with some render and with varying roof finishes.

The affordable homes will consist of a mix of four 1-bed, eight 2-bed, six 3-bed and one 4-bed properties. Of these, 11 will be for social rent and eight in shared ownership.

Of the 28 open market homes, there will be three 2-bed, 19 3-bed and six 4-bed properties.

The use of high levels of insulation and installation of solar panels and air source heat pumps will ensure that the proposed homes are zero carbon in terms of energy use. Each property will have its own water butt, and a SUDs drainage system is proposed for the whole site.

The appeal inspector for the outline scheme concluded that the development would result in moderate harm to the character and appearance of the area, through the introduction of built development on a green field site. But plans propose to retain the existing hedges and provide landscaping to soften the impact.

The location of the proposed areas of open space to the corners of the site, and keeping the existing hedge, will help with the transition between the development and the open countryside to the north and east.

The layout includes four main areas of open space - an orchard, a wildflower meadow, a wildflower area adjoining the site access to the south west and an infiltration basin and grassland.

A green corridor and pathway is planned to the east of the development, linking the entrance to the site with the wildflower area in the north eastern corner of the site.

A 10-year landscape management plan has been submitted. This includes key objectives, such as conservation of existing trees, scrub and hedgerows in good condition and filling in any gaps with additional native species, establishing new grassland, wildflower and orchard areas, strengthening existing boundaries with additional planting and providing a new, native wetland meadow in the infiltration basin.

The plan states that 67 individual trees are to be planted as part of the development, with native species to the site perimeter and ornamental species towards the centre of the site. The proposed orchard will be planted with a mix of apple and pear varieties.

The development site has traditionally been pastureland and used for grazing. Most of the site was classified as poor semi-improved grassland. There was no evidence of the site providing habitat supporting protected species, and the habitats were considered to be of low to moderate ecological value.

The planning application is recommended for approval by the committee.