Plans to extend the massive Hunts Grove estate by another 710 homes have been revealed.

Crest Nicholson South West wants to build the development south of the 1,750-home suburb being created on the southern edge of Gloucester.

It has been told by the council it needs to do more than the "minimum required" to mitigate climate change in its plans.

A preliminary application (2023/0130/EIAS) to Stroud District Council reveals plans for homes up to three-storeys high, a primary school, play facilities, and areas of public open space.

The 26 hectares of greenfield land sit southwest of Quedgeley and northwest of Haresfield.

The council allocated the Hunts Grove extension site for a development of up to 750 homes in its Local Plan in 2015. . Crest owns two thirds of the land and the rest is owned by a Mr and Mrs Pullin.

Details of Crest's plans were revealed in a Request for an EIA Scoping Opinion which the council responded to on Thursday.

It said Crest needs to create a standalone chapter on climate change to include it in a "more holistic way" in the plans.

An officer report said: "The issue of climate change is considered to be a priority for the proposed development as it potentially has significant environmental impacts."

It said there had only been "limited mention" by the company of areas such as waste management, sustainable transport and air quality, sustainable use of materials and resources including water, de-carbonisation of the development and the way in which it minimises the use of fossil fuels.

SDC has declared a climate emergency and committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030, while the UK has a legally binding target for net zero by 2050.

The report said: "The climate emergency is the most important challenge we face and it must be at the heart of planning and development decisions to help shape climate resilient places now and for the future."

Crest was told to have regard to emerging new policies and the fact that local and national climate policies were likely to change before the development was built.

The report added: "We would urge the applicant to give early consideration to approaching the development with high standards for climate change adaptation and mitigation, and not merely doing the minimum required for whatever current policies are in place at the time of any permissions being granted."

Documents show a new street would be created for the development. It would form a loop through the site from Haresfield Lane, starting close to the A38 end and ending near the eastern boundary site, close to the proposed Hunts Grove community building and sports hub.

Office of National Statistics data quoted shows between 2011-2021, the population of Stroud increased 7.4%, with its population density among the lowest 30% in England.

The average age of residents increased to 47 years, with the number of 65-74 year-olds rising by almost a third and 35-49 year-olds falling by 12%.

Private renting increased to 14%, social renting fell slightly to 12% and the rate of home ownership was 73%.

The area with the greatest deprivation for the 'Education, Skills and Training' was within Quedgeley Fieldcourt, northeast of the application site.

If the development goes ahead it would provide new homes and some new jobs at the school.

However, it would mean a loss of habitat for wildlife such as badgers and some bats who live on the site and the new traffic flows would create significant noise and vibrations as well as more demand on the roads and public transport. All these factors will have to be assessed before a division is made on the plans.

An outline planning application is expected to be submitted in December 2023.

Punchline recently broke news that the first phase of 2,250-home development near Stroud  had been revealed and that the second phase with a shopping hub had also been submitted.

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