THOUSANDS of new homes could be built on the Isle of Wight as the council outlines its plans for the future.

The green light has been given to proceed with a consultation on the new draft Island Planning Strategy, which sets out the Isle of Wight Council’s vision for how the Island will develop up to 2035.

New rural settlements could be built with plans for a total of 7,956 houses, including 400 in Freshwater and 813 in Cowes.

Almost 3,695 of the houses could be built in Newport.

The new planning document will deal with future needs and opportunities in relation to infrastructure, homes, jobs and businesses. It will also set out the principles of future development, including employment land.

The plans have been met with concern by residents of Wellow, which could see 32 houses added to the village.

A spokesperson for the council said: “The council is producing a draft Island Planning Strategy which will be subject to public consultation for eight weeks from 30 November.

“The consultation draft identifies a number of potential sites allocated for housing development that will contribute towards meeting identified housing need.

“The council will be encouraging members of the public to comment on the draft Island Planning Strategy and proposed allocations when the consultation period commences later this month.”

Future planning applications will need to be mindful of the information in the Island Planning Strategy, if they want their application to succeed.

Council leader, Cllr Dave Stewart, said: “Reviewing and updating the current Island Plan was a key pledge in our manifesto and I am really pleased to be able to confirm we are on target to deliver on that commitment.

“Our focus currently is very much on meeting our housing and employment needs, especially for young people, at the same time as preserving the identity of the Island.”