Opposition to a controversial Clifton housing development continues to an application first submitted in 2021 that has remained undecided by council planners.
The application submitted by Lowther Estates ltd for outline approval to build 49 houses on land located to the south of Valley Road in Clifton was submitted to the former Eden District Council in October 2021.
Previous applications on the site had been withdrawn after planners had said it was outside the local plan area and beyond the defined southern boundary of the village.
The land is also though to form a key part of the historic site of the last battle on English soil fought at Clifton in 1745. This year marks the 280th Anniversary of the battle of Clifton fought between English and Scottish forces in the Jacobite uprising.
The application to build 49 houses on the land at Clifton was submitted linked as an enabler development for the conversion of listed farm building at Yanwath Hall Farm into 13 houses to offset the costs of the Yanwath Hall development that the applicants say would not be sustainable without the Clifton development.
Both applications have remained in planning limbo since 2021 with objections and concerns raised by residents in Clifton and Clifton Community Council who have objected to the development as no appropriate the for the location and outside the local plan.
In 2021 Clifton Community Council held a public meeting attended by over 100 residents attended by the agent for the applicant to address questions and concerns.
Clifton Community Council voted to officially object to the planning application on the grounds the development does not conform to the Eden Local Plan, plus the council has safety concerns over access of the A6 which currently falls outside the village’s 30mph zone and the lack of clear geographical link between Clifton and Yanwath for the development to be classed as an enabler development.
Using the enabler development classification means that the application that would normally not be accepted as it did not comply with the local plan or other planning policy enables the development to potentially override normal planning policy if it enables preservation of historic and listed buildings and structures.
Fast forward to April 2025 and both applications had additional documents submitted with documents linked to nutrient neutrality submitted for the Clifton development resulting in both applications been partly reconsulted on but the local community and Clifton Community Council was not informed of the consultation by Westmorland and Furness Council.
The additional documents have resulted in both applications now been progressed by Westmorland and Furness Council for potential approval leading to residents submitting over 30 objections to the Clifton application along with Clifton Community Council original objection and an objection and request for the application to be considered by a planning committee been made to Westmorland and Furness Council by the Chair of Clifton Community Council Cllr Jonathan Davies.
Clifton Community Council have called and extra ordinary meeting on Friday to consider a proposal to nominate the land as an asset of Community value for the social wellbeing it provides for the local community as a green space that has attracted a range of wildlife including ducks, frogs, wild birds and a host of other wildlife to the pond area created when the 59 houses were built on the nearby Oaks housing development in 2016.
One Clifton resident who lives close to the site but did not wish to be named said “What has Clifton got to do with Yanwath Hall Farm for it to be linked in this way beyond the same owners of the land. What will be the next application if this is allowed will they submit plans to build 500 houses on Penrith Beacon as an enabler development for work at Lowther Castle as it’s the same owners?”
The Westmorland and Furness planning consultation on the linked Yanwath Hall Farm development closed on the 16th of April with Westmorland and Furness Council Highways saying they could not support the application due to highways concerns, Historic England said they had serious concerns about the plans and Westmorland and Furness Councils conservation officer saif they could not support the application.
The Clifton outline application for 49 houses is open for public comments until this Thursday the 24th April that could see a decision made on both application in May.
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