East Midlands planners have outlined proposals to cater to Nottingham鈥檚 growing housing demand by relaxing the city鈥檚 green belt.

The East Midlands assembly鈥檚 draft regional spatial strategy, presented to the body鈥檚 planning board this week, contains the outcome of a strategic review of the green belt separating Derby, Leicester and Nottingham. It recommends that the belt immediately to the south of Nottingham be redrawn.

The document says that relaxing restrictions around towns such as Hucknall and Ilkestone will take advantage of local transport improvements, such as the upgrading of the A453, an extension of the Nottingham tram and a new main line railway station at Midland Parkway.

The strategy says the success of a recent city-centre development boom means that many of the 950 new homes that Nottingham needs each year cannot be accommodated on brownfield sites.

The strategy also says that the proportion of housing built on brownfield sites in the region should remain in line with the national target of 60%.