People opposed to a housing development on the site of the former fire station in Cockermouth have won a reprieve after councillors deferred their decision.
Members of Cumberland Council’s planning committee were greeted by a group of demonstrators outside Allerdale House in Workington when they arrived for Wednesday’s meeting.
The plans, which were last before the committee in September, have proved controversial, with local campaigners saying they would affect biodiversity – particularly the red squirrels they say live in the area.
The proposal is for a block of flats as well as six affordable apartments and Jane Meek, the council’s assistant director of thriving place and investment, said that the application had been deferred because it was realised that ecological reports were not true and out of date.
It turned they were from a report produced five years earlier and she added: “I hope that in the future that these things don’t happen.”
The applicant, Bill Dobie, had since commissioned Adrian George, an ecologist, to carry out the survey and planning officer Alison Williams told members that the conclusions of the report agreed with the original document.
Objector Sarah Donnolly, who lives in the town, said the strength of feeling in the area was demonstrated by the number of people who had signed a petition and demonstrated against the proposal.
She said parts of the site were contaminated by substances such lead and oil and added: “I believe it’s not in the best interest of the town.”
One objector claimed there had been a breech of tree preservation orders at the site when a number of trees were cleared there in 2020.
Fellow objector Gabrielle Sanders claimed that ecological reports should be produced after a number of different visits and the one they had been presented had only featured one short visit.
She said that the proposal represented a significant loss of habitat at the Station Road site and added: “Simply putting up a few squirrel boxes won’t replace the loss of habitat.”
However, Mr Dobie reminded members that the application was approved at the previous meeting and that he shared the concerns over potential threats to squirrels.
He reassured members that it did not pose a threat to wildlife and he would work with a local squirrel group towards the best outcome.
Although a number of trees would be felled a total of 102 new ones would be planted representing a net gain of 60 and he added: “Which is creating a much more healthy environment.”
Mr George told members that the survey had produced an independent report and added: “It was carried out at a suitable time of year.”
He told members that the squirrels were easier to spot in winter, due to there being less leaf cover, and he had used a thermal imaging camera to spot them.
He said: “[There is] more leaf cover in the summer and they can go undetected.”
And he said that the habitat at the site was not significantly used by red squirrels which was confirmed by his report.
When councillor Roger Dobson (Corby and Hayton, Lib Dems) asked if anything was known about the alleged illegal removal of trees Ms Williams said she had not been involved with any investigation into the matter.
Councillor Andrew Semple (Cockermouth South, Labour) originally called the application in so it could be decided by the committee because it concerned amenity green space.
He called for it to be deferred so that a new detailed ecological report could be produced and members were told that this would be commissioned and funded by the council.
Councillor John Mallinson (Houghton and Irthington, Conservative) said the majority of the committee had previously agreed to approve the application and that the new report would draw a similar conclusion as the original document.
When the deferral was put to the vote there were seven in favour and three against the proposal.
After the result Cllr Mallinson expressed his anger at the additional expense when the council had to make savings. He said: “I am outraged that we are going to have to pay for our own report.”
Mr Dobie’s company bought the site in 2015 and paid around £2 million for the 3.8-acre area.
Shortly after the meeting award-winning film-maker and photographer Terry Abraham posted on X, formerly Twitter, and said: “I’m pleased to reveal that Cumberland Council’s planning committee voted seven to three to defer Mr Dobie’s development plans.
“Sadly, the council are stuck between a rock and a hard place now. They can’t legally go back on their original approval (unless anyone here knows otherwise?) but have now insisted on a new extensive ecology report by themselves.
“This may mean I suspect that plans will have to change.”
