A planned housing development in north Cumbria could be given the go-ahead by councillors next week.
Gleeson Homes has applied for planning permission to build 62 homes on land to the south east of St Michaels Drive, Brampton Road in Longtown, near Carlisle.
It will be decided by members of Cumberland Council’s planning committee at Allerdale House in Workington on Wednesday, September 27, from 10.30am.
The application has been recommended for approval subject to conditions and a satisfactory agreement which would benefit the community in a number of ways.
According to the planning report the developer must agree to the following conditions or the application would be refused:
- 12 affordable homes;
- A financial contribution of £48,542 towards the upgrading and maintenance of children’s play space within Longtown;
- A financial contribution of £42,664 towards the improvement of existing open space within Longtown;
- A financial contribution of £18,673 to support the off-site improvement of existing sports pitches;
- A financial contribution of £6500 for a speed limit order;
- A financial contribution of £6600 for monitoring of the travel plan;
- The maintenance of the informal open space within the site by the developer.
During the consultation process notification letters were sent to 40 neighbouring properties and, in response, 12 letters of objection were received as well as one from ward councillor Tim Pickstone.
Residents’ objections covered a number of areas including: whether the development was needed; siting, scale and design; impact on residential amenity; impact on schools, services and infrastructure; highways matters; drainage matters; biodiversity; as well as a number of other issues.
Cllr Pickstone raised a number of concerns including: it was not an allocated site for housing allocation; it was an unacceptable intrusion into open countryside; the site would have a negative impact on the residents of the south side of St Michael’s Drive; and pedestrian access into Longtown.
According to the report the properties would be constructed of red brick, with yellow brick soldier courses, sills and lintels, under a grey tiled roof.
The report states: “The main roads through the development and the private driveways would be finished in tarmac. The individual driveways to the properties would also be finished in tarmac.”
According to the report each property would have small front and rear gardens with a minimum of two parking spaces – in total 162 car parking spaces would be provided and some of the properties would also have garages in addition to the parking spaces.
The plots would be separated by 1.8m high close boarded fences and, where boundaries adjoin roads and private driveways and are more prominent, 1.8m high brick walls would be used.
The report states: “The hedge along the A6071 would largely be retained with gaps being infilled, although a section would need to be removed to create the new access.
“Some trees within the roadside hedge would be retained but a number of lower quality trees would be removed. The hedge along the north eastern boundary would be retained and would be improved with infill planting.
“The trees along the north-western site boundary would be retained with a new species rich hedge being added to this boundary, along with some new native trees.
“A number of new trees would also be planted throughout the site, with a number located around the SUDs pond and at the entrance to the site. Surface water from the site would discharge to the SUDs pond.”
