Members of the Westmorland and Furness Council Strategic Planning Committee at a meeting in held at county hall in Kendal on Wednesday morning were asked to consider two separate planning applications for development of 299 new houses in two developments one on land of Inglewood Road by Story Homes for 194 houses the second on land of Carleton Road by Barrat Homes for 105 houses.
Officers had recommended both applications to members of the committee be approved with various conditions including the requirement for the 195 Story Homes Development to pay a secondary education contribution of £883,944 while the 105 Barrat Homes development had no education contribution requirement attached to the approval recommendations.
The committee received representation on the applications with a local resident raising concerns over the Inglewood Road development due to the road linking to the development from the phase 1 Story development and the need for a bollard to stop a rat run developing.
Representation in support of the application was made by the Chairman of Penrith Golf Club Les Balmer who said in response to the plans: “Penrith Golf Club sees itself as an existing provider of local facilities and we wish to cement our role as an integral part of the local community by not only providing people with the opportunity to participate in sport, but to also support the community by providing clubhouse facilities that can be used for activities not directly related to the sport of golf.”
The council also received a representation on both applications by a spokes person for Evolve Penrith who said “Since 2011 the local population of Penrith has increased by approximately 2000 residents with a reflective population increase in the communities around Penrith that the town forms a key service town for.
“During the same period of population increase the town has seen no increase in the provisions of GP, or Dental capacity, no increase in community infrastructure, no new schools, no increase in services such as library spaces in the community.”
“The rate of development in Penrith and the rapid build completion to occupancy rate shows the need and demand for housing in the town exists.”
“A token tick box to road transport is often offered and a low rate of affordable homes are included.”
“However, this committee has the potential to deliver housing to meet the ambitions of the developers but also deliver much needed community and social needs through the S106 tied to the planning approval.”
“Both of the applications like most over the past decade in the Penrith area totally omit any wider social and community beneficial requirements.”
Evolve Penrith called on the committee to set a new benchmark for development that rather than negatively impact on communities, instead looked to deliver wider community benefit.
It proposed that the committee consider attaching to both developments; that it said collectively amount to a new small village development.
A raft of requirements on the developers to benefit the residents of these new properties and the wider community to bring added value to Penrith rather than increasing the burden.
The spokesperson for Evolve Penrith said to the committee that the group “believe the inclusion as part of the councils S106 obligations on the developer as well as the standard education provision ,that a Health Care provision be included along with a Library Contribution, a community spaces contribution, sports contribution, Youth Contribution, Travel Pack and admin contribution for the travel pack and Bus pass contribution.
Councillor Frank Cassidy (Walney Island, Labour) told the committee Story Homes was ‘very profitable’ and added: “The company’s modified affordable housing offer of 15 per cent still falls well below the council target of 30 per cent.
Senior Land and planning manager for Story Homes Adam McNally said: “We’ve reviewed, and we are taking a reduced profit margin to provide those five extra affordables which brings the total to 15 per cent or 29 in total.”
Mr McNally told the committee there was a ‘significant cost’ to overcome the ‘constraints’ of the site. He added there are more than £5.5 million in abnormal costs on the site.
The members of the strategic planning committee after a debate lasting over and hour were concerns over the lack of affordable housing at only 15% and the lack of community infrastructure were asked to vote to approve the application with a proposal to approve made by Cllr Graham Simpkins – Libdem Councillor for Appleby and Brough.
Councillors however vote not to support the motion. The failure to approve the motion led to scenes of confusion and as one councillor in the meeting commented “pressure to approve” the plans by officers, resulting in the council members agreeing to move to an informal private meeting to formulate their position before returning to the chamber.
The then committee voted in favour of a proposal to refuse the application that stated: “The proposed development does not provide sufficient affordable housing to meet the target set out in the adopted Eden local plan and the lack of affordable housing will not provide sufficient low-cost dwellings for the community of Penrith.
“The proposed development does not provide for the provision of community facilities within the site to the harm of future residents of the development and will not result in sustainable further developments.”
With 6 councillors voting in favour of the refusal and 2 voting against the refusal.
Officers highlighted to councillors that it was likely the council would face a public hearing via the planning inspectorate appeal over the refusal and that councillors would have to appear before that appeal hearing with the council potentially facing substantial costs awards made against it through an appeal hearing.
Following a short break in the meeting the planning committee were asked to consider a second application to develop 105 homes on land at Carleton by Barrat Homes Manchester with a mix of bungalows and 2,3 and 4 houses including a 30% affordable housing provision.
Following a short debate on the application and the Chair asking the committee to reflect on the representation made by Evolve Penrith, councillors voted to follow the officer recommendation and approved the application unanimously.
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