A bid to build 139 new homes in Whitehaven will be discussed by councillors next week.
Persimmon Homes wants to create the development on land which was formerly the site of the Marchon factory on High Road in Kells.
Cumberland Council’s planning committee will hold a special meeting to discuss the application on Tuesday.
Members are recommended to approve the application, which also includes an outline application for more homes.
It would be the first phase of the scheme, which would see a total of 328 homes built.
The firm’s original plan had been amended after the authority’s new local plan was adopted and the current application does not include part of the greenfield
site to the west of the Wagon Way.
It is recommended that the application is granted subject to conditions and an agreement to:
- a travel plan monitoring fee of £6,600
- a contribution of £65,000 towards the improvements to the English Coastal Path in the vicinity of the development land
- a contribution of £80,000 towards the enhancement of the active travel facilities on High Road
- a contribution of £59,600 towards the highway improvement works at the Mirehouse Road/St Bees Road Junction within the vicinity of the development
According to the report the application site covers an area of 28 hectares and is located on the south-western edge of Whitehaven, approximately 1.6km south of Whitehaven town centre and 2km west of the A595.
It states: “The southern portion of the site is previously developed land and was previously occupied by the former Marchon chemical factory.
“The northern portion of the site is greenfield, undeveloped land. The site is bordered to the west by agricultural land that falls towards the coast.
“This land contains a number of pedestrian routes including the English Coastal path between St Bees and Whitehaven, existing residential development lies to the east.
“South of the site is also land of the former Marchon chemical factory which had a consent for a coal mine which was subsequently quashed by the High Court.”
