A new relief road is one of the options being considered as part of plans to drive a town's economy forward.

The Penrith relief road and an upgrade of the A66 are some of the suggestions being mooted to boost the area's financial fortunes.

Eden councillors are being asked to approve spending up to £45,000 on getting a masterplan drawn up to map out the area's future.

Authority chiefs believe it's work that will help the town capitalise on other opportunities emerging across Cumbria, tying in also with the district's ambitious local plan which includes building hundreds of new homes every year.

It also backs up The Eden Vision 2050 document released last year to help spur the area's growth.

Eden Council leader Kevin Beaty said: "There is much impetus for economic growth around Penrith and we need to plan where and how this can take place in the future beyond the time period of the Eden Local Plan 2014-2032.

"In the Vision document, we outlined that Penrith is the economic centre of Eden and the development and infrastructure we foresee as being needed around Junction 41 of the M6 by 2050, including a proposed relief road and employment sites which could unlock long-term economic growth."

And that growth is not just centred on the Penrith's prospects alone.

"While Cumbria has many economic opportunities on the horizon such as the dualling of the A66 and the proposed new nuclear power station on the West Coast, we can’t just wait for these opportunities to materialise, we have to start evidencing and building a case for how we can create the economic future of the district," Mr Beaty added.

"The creation of a masterplan could be the first step. This helps developers, partners and government departments to see the future aspirations for our area as we discuss things such as new roads, employment land, schools and much-needed housing.”

A report outlining the scheme will go before the council's ruling executive on October 3.

Factors that will be considered in creating the document include land use, open spaces and recreation, the town centre and new infrastructure projects.

John Owen, the councillor who holds Eden's development portfolio, says commissioning the plan will mean coming up with a piece of work that stands up to public scrutiny, including working with agencies such as Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership.

He added: "Since the publication of the Eden Vision 2050 discussion paper last year, we have had positive discussions with landowners and agents about the aspirations for Eden's future.

"A well drafted masterplan could provide a resolute case for how we deliver the future economic growth and housing need in the area."

Tackling problems linked with affordable housing has long been one of the major issues facing the Eden area, with house prices hugely higher than earnings.