Plans to turn part of Maryport harbourside into land for further housing development will be discussed next week.

Three sites have been earmarked as the preferred options in Allerdale council’s draft local plan to build homes.

The plan identifies areas suitable for housing development, new retail units, business development and travellers’ sites.

Allerdale planning officers said a 0.7-hectare parcel of land near Ritson Wharf could accommodate up to 30 homes and would help regenerate the harbourside.

The preferred development is for blocks of flats, but townhouses may be considered.

A parcel of greenfield at Elizabeth Dock is the second preferred option, with space for 50 homes, and a third option identifies land at Maryport marina for up to 30 homes.

Linda Radcliffe, town mayor, said: “This has been on the cards for quite some years when people said they were going to build on the harbourside but then plans were being shelved. This has happened on more than one occasion.

“If the development is conducive to what’s already there I’m very much for it. The housing development that has recently been built there has been an asset to the area and for the people who wanted to live in that particular part of the town.

“It will bring local jobs for local people during the construction stage and the bigger the town, the more likely we are to attract businesses to set up in the area.”

Allerdale council has also identified space for a bigger development of up to 365 homes near Whitecroft.

It said the area was suitable because of the location on the edge of the built up area and access to the A597.

The proposals, which are due to be discussed by the council’s executive on Wednesday, will be followed by a public consultation.

A 9.3-hectare parcel of land at the rear of Ellenfoot Drive was discounted as a potential housing development site due to visual impact, poor road access and lack of public transport.

In Aspatria, the land at the rear of the rugby club has been identified as a potential site for 60 homes and land at Harriston Road has been earmarked for up to 100 homes.

Land adjacent to Flimby Brow and land off Elm Avenue in Flimby are also earmarked as potential housing developments site, with a capacity for 15 homes on the first site and 40 on the latter.

In its 2011 local plan, Allerdale council said Maryport would see 656 new homes built by 2029, of which 55 have already gone up and 213 are in the process of being built.

The authority said the town had limited space for new retail and business units due to the building of the new Lidl store in the town and it wanted to extend the town centre boundaries to include the supermarket.

The main area for future development is Glasson industrial estate.

Workington has been identified as the main centre for housing and business development.

The authority says the town could accommodate a medium size supermarket or discount food store, other retail units and new leisure developments. Main areas identified for the developments are Lillyhall, the Port of Workington and Oldside.

Allerdale council also has a duty to assess the accommodation needs of gypsy and travellers communities and travelling showmen.

It currently has no sites for gypsies and travellers but it has identified the former caravan park at Oldside, which it owns, as suitable. There are already yards in Maryport, Silloth and Wigton for travelling showmen.