Housing developer wants to drop affordable homes from scheme

Kells Development Group was granted planning permission in 2010 to build 74 houses on the former White School site in Kells, with 22 of these being affordable.

To date, 57 of the homes have been built – the majority self-build plots. Sixteen of the houses have been sold to housing association Two Castles but the remaining eight, which were intended to be sold or rented out at an intermediate discounted rate, have not been built.

The developer has now asked for a relaxation in its legal requirements to provide the affordable homes saying it wants to sell the eight plots to foot the bill to complete the roads.

In a report to Copeland's planning panel, Nick Hayhurst, the council's planning development manager, said: "They have set out that the sale of these plots would generate sufficient funds to allow them to complete the infrastructure of the site.

"At present the remaining section of road has to be completed and the whole of the road network requires a top surface which is necessary to make the highway suitable for adoption by Cumbria County Council.

"Without the additional funding they have indicted that they would be unable to fund these works."

Mr Hayhurst says it is considered "reasonable" to agree to the housing developer's request.

He added: "The completion of the infrastructure and its final adoption is essential given the number of people that are now occupying the site.

"The development has already produced 16 true affordable units which are run through a registered social landlord."

The site was sold to Kells Development Group by Copeland Council to be developed for housing, with an emphasis on self-build plots.

Outline planning permission was later granted for 74 homes with 31 of these being self-build; 21 for sale on the open market and 22 affordable with eight of those sold or rented at a discounted rate of 80 per cent.

White School opened in 1951 and closed in 1979 and in 2002 it was demolished.