Major plans to build 40 new homes have taken a step forward in a bid to address the shortage of affordable housing in a Lake District community.
Lake District National Park development control committee members have voted to delegate proposals to construct 40 new homes in Ambleside on a field between Loughrigg Park and Borrans Road to the head of development management.
The head of development management will approve the planning application with conditions subject to the completion of the section 106 order.
The proposed development would include the construction of 22 affordable, 16 local occupancy and two principal homes as well as an access road.
The affordable homes will be for social rent.
A planning statement prepared on behalf of the applicant Atkinson Building Contractors says: “The site represents an opportunity to provide much needed affordable housing in the parish and has been designed to try and keep any visual impacts to a minimum.”
But objections to the proposal have been raised by the Lakes Parish Council, Friends of the Lake District, Cumbria Wildlife Trust and members of the public.
The Lakes Parish Council said it was concerned over the potential impact of the development on flooding and water quality as well as concerns over the development’s density and loss of amenity.
Speaking on behalf of the Lakes Parish Council, Charlene Iredale pointed out the local plan allocated 28 houses to the site and the 40 proposed homes represented a substantial increase.
Ms Iredale said: “Ambleside does not only sit harmoniously within the world’s heritage site, but it is a very special area, and we want to keep it that way.
“We realise the need for affordable homes, but this is not the right location for a 40-house development, 28 houses will be more acceptable and will have far less impact on residents and the environment.”
Local planning consultant Kate Bellwood, who is advising the applicant, said with the construction of 40 homes, the scheme was viable and could deliver a significant development of affordable and local occupancy housing.
“If you remove any of the houses this scheme simply becomes unviable, a smaller scheme is not viable except at the expense of affordable housing.
“It’s worth noting that profit is an allowed part of viability assessments and the profit on this site is below government guidance at just 12.6 per cent, 20 per cent is what the Government suggests.”
In a report prepared for the development control committee the parish council added: “We are very concerned about the current state of water quality in Windermere and surrounding rivers due to poor water treatment and sewage control.
“By adding 40 properties to this catchment area it will further increase pressures on the Ambleside Treatment Plant which is already running past capacity and pumps raw sewage into Windermere in periods of heavy rain.”
However according to the report prepared for the meeting United Utilities consider the development to be acceptable in principle. It said upgrade work had taken place to the treatment works to accommodate forecasted growth and tourism which includes sufficient capacity to accommodate the foul flows from this application site
Friends of the Lake District said the proposed development would lead to cars dominating the street scene and state the development would cause the loss of mature trees.
In the report planning officers say: “The proposals would result in the loss of a veteran oak tree which national policy instructs should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and a suitable compensation strategy exists.
“The proposals may also result in post-development pressure on a number of other mature trees including veteran and ancient trees given their location in proposed garden areas.
“It is our view that the delivery of 22 affordable homes on an allocated site represents such exceptional circumstances that the public benefits would clearly outweigh the loss of the oak tree when considered in the context of a chronic under-delivery of affordable housing in Ambleside.”
Members of the Lake District National Park development control committee delegated approval of the application to the head of development management to approve subject to a section 106 agreement and additional conditions related to dark sky lighting as well as the maintenance of the site.
