Councillors have given the green light for a new housing development in Whitehaven.
Copeland Council’s planning panel met yesterday, and approved plans for a total of 90 homes in the area of Harras Moor.
Site Evolution Limited is behind the plans which will see homes constructed on land off Harras Road and Harras Dyke, which officers recommended for approval.
Lead planning officer Nick Hayhurst said: “The site has been subject to an outline permission in the past, in 2017 we granted two outline applications for a residential development for up to 110 dwellings.”
Councillors were asked to decide whether to grant planning permission for two follow-up applications, providing more detail on the proposals, amending the number of homes to 90.
One application sought permission for 85 dwellings and another for a further five but councillors voted on the applications as one.
Mr Hayhurst said: “There is a mix of housing proposed on the site, ranging from two to five bedrooms, they are in the form of terraced, detached and semi-detached.
“The dwellings have been grouped into distinctive character areas to provide variety in the layout.”
Character areas were defined to break-up the development following lengthy discussions with the applicant.
Before voting to approve the application, councillors agreed to impose a condition ensuring that a sandstone wall “of some age” along Harras Road remains, protecting the character of the area. The panel then approved the development with seven in favour and one abstention.
No objectors spoke against the proposal at the meeting but concerns were raised in consultation responses around “already weak infrastructure” and the development’s proximity to Electricity North West apparatus.
Whitehaven Town Council raised concerns with “the inconclusive traffic studies and reports” and the building of 90 homes on the site, which they said would result in overcrowding and put additional strains on an already weak infrastructure.
Electricity North West said: “Where the development is adjacent to operational land the applicant must ensure that the development does not encroach over either the land or any ancillary rights of access or cable easements.”
