The proposed changes to Gloucestershire County Council's structure plan follow a government panel's report on the draft plan in March 2004.

The council will not allow building on the green belt up to 2016 but accepts it will need to review that post-2016.

The proposals are now subject to a six week public consultation period.

County Councillor Dr. John Cordwell said: "This is as far as the County Council is willing to go.

"Government Office for the South West may wish to see even more development being located at Gloucester and Cheltenham but if we were to do this then further greenfield land, probably in the green belt, would have to be identified for development."

With Gloucester and Cheltenham carrying much of the new development, rural areas which were to have been built on, will now see an associated reduction in development.

The site at RAF Quedgeley near Gloucester is to be "significantly developed in the next few years", using brownfield land before greenfield sites are looked at.