An ambitious 30-year vision is aiming to see thousands of new homes built in and around Penrith.

Eden Council is poised to launch a far-reaching blueprint - and house-building is a key feature.

The draft plan, which will be published in the next few weeks, will also see the council pitch for a new north-east bypass of Penrith town centre.

This was revealed by council leader Kevin Beaty as councillors gave the seal of approval to Persimmon Homes' housing scheme at Penrith's Carleton Heights.

It will see a total of 505 new homes built, as well as provide a primary school, village hall, shop, football pitch and village green area.

"Penrith has never had a plan, never had a vision for its future," said Mr Beaty.

"This plan is for the next 30 years for Penrith to make it a bigger place with more jobs and better-paid jobs.

"Penrith has been a sleepy place for too long.

"If the town centre is to survive in the future, we need to attract more people to live here and more visitors."

As well as the aspiration to see thousands of new homes build in Penrith district, Mr Beaty said they were including in the plan a new road which would come behind Beacon Hill and link up with Junction 41, the Wigton turn-off.

"This would help ease the current congestion problems at Junction 40," said Mr Beaty.

"It would open up Penrith. It looks like the Government is favouring dualling the A66, instead of the A69.

"Behind Beacon Hill it will not be very visible.

"It would also open up the building of new homes behind the Beacon, which could include affordable homes.

"It is a desirable countryside location."

He added: "This plan will lead to more sustainable shops, bars and cafes.

"It will enable the council to grow more homes, including starter homes and facilitate more rental properties."

Mr Beaty added that it would be a "soft" launch of the plan.

"We need to speak to developers and landowners," he said.

Mr Beaty added the 505-home plan would include an affordable housing quota of 30 per cent, which would be scattered throughout the site.

There would be a wide range of housing options on offer, including three to four-storey apartment blocks, a mix of two and three-bedroomed terraced properties and up to five-bedroomed detached houses.

At an Eden Council planning committee meeting, officers were given powers to grant full planning permission for the scheme once a final figure had been agreed as to how much Persimmon Homes will have to pay Cumbria County Council to build the new primary school.