Plans to turn Workington’s former Southfield Technology College site into land for housing development will be discussed next week.

The land, off Moorclose Road, is among 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.

Other preferred sites for homes include Stainburn, Seaton and High Harrington and potential retail space options include Lillyhall, the Port of Workington and Oldside.

A former caravan park at Oldside has been identified by the council as land suitable for travellers. The proposals, which are due to be discussed by the council’s executive on Wednesday, will be followed by a public consultation.

Allerdale planning officers said the 2.6-hectare site of the now demolished Southfield School could accommodate 65 homes.

Peter Bales, Allerdale councillor for the Moorclose ward, said: “I think this is the best use for the land. At the moment it is a pile of rubble, it’s not even a green patch. I think it will join in well with the estate.”

Workington has been identified by planners as the major centre for housing and business development.

A 6.3-hectare site off Stainburn Road, which could accommodate up to 120 houses, and land off Moor Road in Stainburn, which has space for 25 homes, have been identified in the plan.

Land east of Whitestiles, next to the former Coachman Inn at High Seaton, is among the earmarked sites and Story Homes has already applied to Allerdale council to build 69 homes.

In High Harrington, the company has also applied for a screening opinion to see whether an Environmental Impact Assessment would be needed to accompany any planning application for housing on the land at Whins Farm, off Main Road.

Allerdale council, which has earmarked this land for housing development, said the parcel of land could accommodate up to 120 homes and a play area.

The authority said the town could also accommodate a medium size supermarket or discount food store, other retail units and new leisure developments.

The council wants to extend the town centre boundaries to incorporate the new leisure centre and the car park adjacent to Central Way, which has been earmarked for extra retail space.

Other retail space could be created at Solway House, off Moss Bay Road.

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

It currently has no sites for gypsies and travellers but 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.

Maryport’s harbourside has been identified as a potential site for 110 houses in three different parcels of land.

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 2014, Allerdale local plan stated it wanted to build an extra 547 homes by 2029 in Cockermouth, but the town has already seen 210 houses go up and 570 are in the process of being built.