Thousands of homes could be built on rural land as part of a plan to reshape the look of a conurbation over the next few decades.

Medway Council has unveiled the next stage of its blueprint for the future of the Towns in which it is committed to providing 28,500 new homes by 2041.

This equates to 1,667 a year and while some of this has been met with the massive regeneration of St Mary’s Island and Rochester Riverside, that still leaves 22,500 new builds to meet the government’s demand and a growing population.

But during a press briefing on the next stages of the blueprint, it was stressed the Medway Local Plan was not just about housing and infrastructure, protecting the environment, jobs and well-being were all integral factors for the future.

With Homes England unexpectedly pulling the plug on £170 million funding towards supporting the development of the Hoo Peninsula, the council is now dependent on renewed government grants and private developers to stump up the cash for transport links.

Land available was also restricted because sites at high flood risk, quality agricultural farmland, parks and nature reserves must be protected.

The Local Plan is also looking at ways to boost jobs, education and infrastructure in a sustainable way for the future with the hopes that more people will use public transport instead of their own vehicles.

The Labour administration, which came into power in Medway last May, has pledged to get the plan in place by the end of 2026 at the latest.

Council leader Vince Maple said there was now a desperate need to get through the complex public consultation stages and urged all residents to take part.

Cllr Simon Curry who is in charge of climate change and strategic regeneration, said the “blended” option of using a mix of urban and rural land was the most favoured, but nothing was “set in stone” until the public had aired its views.

He added: ”We are looking at town centres and how they are working or not working and where we can regenerate and the wider community like villages on the peninsula where homes are needed.

“As a local authority we have the planning powers and can decide where regeneration takes place but it's about working with partners and that includes the NHS, education and transport authorities.

“We don’t have the infrastructure. We will be looking to developers. the government and an improved economy and we are working on all three.

“It’s not just about housing, it's about the whole community and sustainability.”

He added that the plan had to be a mix of affordable home and ordinary housing to suit the economy.

There are currently three broad options for development on the table: option 1 focusing on urban regeneration; option 2 focusing on dispersed growth; and option 3, a blended strategy looking firstly at urban regeneration and brownfield sites but also at some greenfield sites.

The plan will affect everyone – it will cover communities, the natural and historic environment, town centre revitalisation, housing, employment, improved facilities such as schools and local transport choices (walking, cycling and buses), health centres and shops as well as better access to green spaces including parks and play areas.

The availability of affordable quality housing is key part of the local plan.

In Medway the average house price is 8.7 times higher than the average wage, having increased 23.3 per cent in the last five years – and that situation is not going to improve without more homes.

It is envisaged that the majority of homes built under the Local Plan would go to Medway residents, with 65 per cent of homes built so far for Medway Development Company, the authority’s housing arm, having been sold to buyers with ME postcodes.

Medway Council Leader, Vince Maple, said: “If agreed by Cabinet, we will be launching a consultation on the Local Plan from July 15.

“This stage of the Local Plan represents an exciting moment for Medway, as an opportunity for us all to build a picture of a place where we and future generations can thrive over the decades to come.

“Our existing plan was signed off more than 20 years ago so is in desperate need of updating.

“I would urge everyone to get involved and have their say, so that the plan becomes a vision shaped by all of us, which we can all get behind.

“This is about improving Medway for the better, so please take some time to look through the plan and give us your feedback. What you like as well as what you would like to see changed/don’t like.”

Medway is now the largest conurbation in the south-east, outside of London.

It is in the top 40% most densely populated local authority areas and is home to 9.3 people per football pitch sized piece of land.

Half of Medway’s landmass is rural. In addition to the Hoo Peninsula and internationally recognised wetlands, there are nearly 2,000 hectares of open spaces and 148 urban parks.

The latest phase of consultation will help gather further feedback to help develop the draft Local Plan, providing residents, communities and businesses with further details, prior to a draft plan being finalised for review in 2025.

If approved by cabinet, the public consultation will launch on Monday, 15 July for eight weeks.

There will be in person information events, and plenty of opportunity for Medway residents to have their say.