A country park and a new water sports facility would be part of a proposed leisure zone to the north-east of Chelmsford.
Many of the town's sports clubs could relocate to the zone, which would be a buffer between urban Chelmsford and the countryside.
The idea for the leisure belt has come in a report by Chelmsford Council officers into the future of sport and leisure in the town over the next ten years.
It says: "The council wishes, if possible, to restrict the progressive northern expansion of urban Chelmsford.
"This might be achieved by adopting a positive approach to an alternative form of development that would also provide benefit to local people.
"This may include a degree of built development. This would be within the scope of an overall masterplan for a leisure belt."
The leisure committee approved the proposals, which will now be considered by the council's development policy board.
If the leisure zone is eventually given the go-ahead, it would be another step towards Chelmsford becoming a top sporting venue following the announcement that a £2.2 million lottery grant would be used to build a state-of-the-art indoor athletics stadium in Melbourne.
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