Councillors have deferred a decision to build nearly 200 homes in Penrith.
Members of the strategic planning committee for Westmorland and Furness Council deferred plans from Story Homes to build 194 homes on land between Inglewood Road and Centurion Rise and the proposal is set to be discussed at a future committee meeting in two months time.
The decision was deferred by councillors to allow more time for discussions with the developer regarding the provision of more affordable housing.
Other reasons for deferral include time for the developer to consider the potential of a bollard to allow only emergency vehicles to access the site through the existing Centurion Drive development and and the possibility of preparing a piece of land so a future community facility could be built within the proposed housing scheme.
The proposed development would consist of 12 two-bedroom properties, 50 three-bedroom properties, 92 four-bedroom houses and 40 five-bedroom properties. 12 per cent will be ‘affordable’.
Outside the County Hall members of the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition in Westmorland and Lonsdale protested against a lack of affordable housing in the proposals with four out of 184 dwellings to be made available for ‘affordable rent’.
In the planning committee meeting Martin Powell-Davies said on behalf of the coalition: “Are councillors who might be thinking of voting for this recommendation today prepared to go out into their communities and justify their decision.
“Because your communities know there is a housing crisis across Westmorland and beyond.”
Councillor Frank Cassidy (Walney Island, Labour) said young people had told him it would take them ‘a couple of lifetimes’ to pay off mortgages such is the cost of housing and Councillor Bill McKewan (Ormsgill and Parkside, Labour) added developers ‘have got to think of people starting on the ladder’.
Senior Land and planning manager for Story Homes Adam McNally said: “I can understand members’ concerns, but we will try and get the balance right and maximise that affordable housing offer.
“There is nothing left on viability that we can offer, it’s a common problem given that building costs have risen significantly and all the other contributions that are required.”
A report prepared for the meeting states that independent surveyors Walton Goodland had reviewed the financial data submitted by the applicant regarding the financial viability of the number of affordable homes and they concluded the provision of 12 per cent is a ‘robust’ offer.
Mr McNally also told the committee sustainable development is at the ‘forefront of our minds’ and said there would be a ‘significant’ number of trees planted as well as 196 swift boxes incorporated into the development.
He added the development would be a £50 million investment and support 600 jobs in the area.
Objector to the plans, Michael Buczynskyj said a link road between the existing Centurion Drive development and the proposed housing scheme would have an ‘adverse’ impact on safety and create ‘a rat run’.
Mr Buczynskyj called on the council to introduce measures to prevent the link road being used as general traffic to which Councillor Graham Simpkins (Appleby and Brough, Lib Dems) agreed.
Councillor Lorna Baker (Eden and Lyvennet Vale, Lib Dems) called on Story Homes to prepare an area of land to be flat so a ‘future community building’ could be built in order for the site to be a ‘place to live rather than a set of houses’.
The site is 9.3 hectares in size and planning documents propose two access points, one from the south through the existing Centurion Drive development off Salkeld Road and the other directly onto Inglewood Road.
According to planning documents if the application is approved at a later date, the developers will be required to contribute £883,944 for secondary school places at nearby Ullswater Community College as the school is ‘already oversubscribed’ and cannot ‘readily accommodate’ more pupils.
Council officers warned councillors if a decision was deferred the authority could be exposed to an appeal due to ‘non-determination’.
Members of the strategic planning committee deferred the application on Wednesday 20 March.
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