A masterplan for Perth and Kinross, which will pave the way for tens of thousands of new homes and businesses, has been backed by councillors.
The blueprint highlights a need for around 12,000 new houses in the next nine years to cope with a predicted population surge.
The revised Local Development Plan (LDP) formally sets aside swathes of land for a range of development projects including the massive Perth West scheme which will see more than 3,700 houses and prime employment on land off the A9.
About 670 acres of greenfield land will be zoned for the development.
The 50-acre Friarton Quarry could be re-designated for housing and leisure facilities such as a dry ski slope.
Meanwhile, a proposed expansion of Blairgowrie, Perthshire’s biggest town, could see more than 800 houses built on the eastern border.
And the £1 billion Bertha Park site could be expanded further, with a new park and ride facility.
The LDP also aims to address an issue which has been raised time and again at recent planning meetings. Officers have received complaints about several recent housing projects, where developers have proposed more houses than was allocated in the previous LDP.
To tackle this, the new masterplan includes a “density range” to ensure that housing numbers are only exceeded in exceptional cases.
Council leader Ian Campbell said this was a critical stage in preparing the council’s second LDP, which will inform planning decisions for years to come.
“The plan is not just about identifying sites, it presents a suite of policies against which we will determine planning applications,” he said. “Whilst the majority of the policies are carried forward from the first LDP, I’m pleased to see two areas strengthened.
“Firstly, an increased emphasis on ensuring the needs of all our residents are met with appropriate housing. This is particularly important for those at both end of the housing ladder, for those setting up their first home and for the increasing elderly population downsizing.
“Secondly, the plan makes the links to the Perth City Plan, incorporating a policy framework to support its implementation.”
Strategic and policy manager Peter Marshall, who helped draw up the plan, said: “We are in a situation where we have only a small amount of brownfield sites in Perth and Kinross, only around 50 hectares.
“That means the majority of developments will be on greenfield areas.”
He said the LDP will ensure that greenfield sites are not wasted or used excessively.
The 440-page document will now go out to public consultation before it is formally adopted next summer.
