Housing figures in Central Bedfordshire have been slashed after the scrapping of regional planning targets.

Members of the Central Bedfordshire and Luton Joint Planning Committee approved on Friday a revised core strategy for a total of 15,000 new homes in the district.

The draft strategy includes proposals for a total of 15,000 new homes in the Bedfordshire area between 2011 and 2026, which is around 10,000 less dwellings than originally planned for.

Councillor Tricia Turner, leader of Central Bedfordshire Council, welcomed the new strategy,

She said: "This is excellent news for Central Bedfordshire. The new housing is required to meet local need, particularly for affordable dwellings. The proposals strive to protect our green space whilst ensuring realistic levels of housing and providing new local employment opportunities."

The authority reviewed the number of houses that had previously been allocated for the area after new government policy meant that the Regional Spatial Strategy would be abolished.

The policy now means that regional targets, including the amount of housing and gypsy and traveller sites, will be decided by local councils.

The strategy includes 134 hectares of employment land, which would result in more than 28,000 jobs being created across the area.

Infrastructure will also benefit from the new plan with £50million of private investment being included.

It has also been stated that the strategy would protect greenbelt land from development.

It is expected that the endorsed proposal will be submitted as a formal strategy at the next meeting of the planning committee later in the year for approval.

The proposals will then go out to the public for a six-week consultation period.

Mrs Turner added: "I believe the revised core strategy represents a genuine and realistic blueprint for the long-term future for the communities in the southern area of Central Bedfordshire.

"We look forward to hearing views of those with an interest in this area when the document is released for public consultation."

The amount of homes throughout Central Bedfordshire that the council had previously been asked to allocate had been a topic of controversy, with residents saying there was not enough infrastructure to support the amount of new homes required.

People will now have a six-week period in which to comment on the detailed proposals contained within the plan.

The document will then be submitted to the Secretary of State and examined by a Government inspector next summer.