PROPOSALS that could lead to 3,600 new homes in Eden by 2034 are to be debated by senior councillors in the district next week.

The draft development framework, which also includes the creation of 1,500 new jobs over the next two decades, reveals the potential for 324 new homes at Appleby and 252 in Kirkby Stephen.

The document also says provision should be made for 360 new homes in villages and hamlets around Eden. But the bulk of them - 2,520 - would be built in Penrith.

Council leader Gordon Nicolson said: “The Eden Local Plan is a document all our residents and businesses have a vested interest in.

“It is all about planning for the next generation and will form a blueprint for Eden’s future, setting out where people may live, where their jobs may be and what infrastructure is needed to make it all happen.

“If the executive approves the draft, the next stage is to get local people’s views on whether we have got it right.

“The draft plan is firmly based on the best evidence we have. It involves analysis of how our population will grow, how much housing we will need to help retain young families in the area and how we can help meet the needs of an ageing population.”

The draft plan anticipates a rising demand for affordable housing and the need for new schools and open spaces.