Doubt has been cast on plans to build more than 230 homes north of Carlisle.

An outline application submitted by city-based North Associates to build the homes on the site of a former army camp at Houghton have been described as “incongruous” by planners.

Documents submitted with the application reveal that the site is south-west of the existing Eden Gate development, currently being constructed by Story Homes.

Members of Carlisle City Council's development control committee have been recommended to refuse permission for the Hadrian's Camp development at a meeting next week.

A report prepared for the committee by case officer Angus Hutchinson says that while the development would have “environmental and social benefits”, there is a “lack of physical integration and accessibility with the existing settlement”.

In November, residents expressed concern about a lack of infrastructure at the site and the impact it would have on traffic congestion at a meeting of Stanwix Rural Parish Council.

Both locals and parish councillors also discussed whether the development was in conflict with Carlisle's recently approved local plan for 2015 to 2030.

A response submitted by Stanwix Rural Parish Council said: “The parish council finds the application to be ill-informed through reliance on superseded information, especially with regard to the Flood Risk Assessment.

“As an inevitable consequence the application must be viewed as being inherently flawed throughout. The County Wildlife Site is not allocated for housing development which Carlisle City Council has stated to be un-needed for 15 years and would be out of scale with the village.

“The proposal would have a severe negative impact upon traffic congestion and road safety in Houghton, especially in the village centre close to the school.

“The proposal requires the loss of 22 acres of valuable wildlife habitat that is home to a number of rare and protected BAP red and amber list species. The proposal is contrary to local and national planning policy and supplementary planning guidance.

“The parish council therefore objects unreservedly to the proposed development and; urges in the strongest way possible that the application be refused.”

In his report, Mr Hutchinson said that the the application relates to a site “that is not allocated in the local plan” and if approved, is likely to prejudice the delivery of the spatial strategy contrary to several criteria in the plan.

He added: “Whilst the impacts of the proposal associated with the historic environment and foul/surface water drainage are considered to be neutral in any planning balance, it is the case that the current application represents an approximate increase in the number of properties at Houghton by 45 per cent.

“In combination with the already approved (and allocated) development at Eden Gate, the proposal could lead to a 63 per cent increase in the number of properties. Such an increase is not considered to be in scale with the size of the settlement.

“This would lead to a southerly imbalance in the form of the settlement tending towards a visual coalescence with the sporadic development at Centurion Walk, Hadrian's Gardens as well as Hadrian's Park.

“In addition, the proposal would appear as a somewhat isolated block of development providing an irregular and uncharacteristic edge to the perceived boundary of Houghton.”

Carlisle City Council's development control committee will discuss the application during a meeting at the civic centre on February 10.