By Karen Evans

Last updated at 13:39, Tuesday, 25 September 2012

Brigham parish council is to object to plans for a £5.5 million housing estate.

Councillors meeting last night were angry about a knock-on effect on traffic

They also expressed concerns about the school already being full and whether there was a serious need to more affordable homes in the village.

Chairman Brian Earley said: “Looking at each plan in isolation would be a mistake.

“We're aware there are a number of plans and potential sites which would have an effect on the village and this needs to be highlighted in the letter.

“We have to consider the incremental creep of the amount of housing that the village could end up with, not just from the Ellerbeck scheme, but if other schemes are granted planning permission.

“Planners need to take into account the impact of not just the Ellerbeck scheme but all of the schemes that are put forward.

“Home Group also owns land near the school and we don't know whether we will see plans submitted for that in the future. We are in danger of having one approved, then another and then a third scheme approved."

He said planners needed to “seriously consider” whether there was a need for more affordable homes.

“The Fitz development has already been given the go-ahead about a mile down the road, there are two affordable homes at the former police head quarters which haven’t sold yet and there are already rental properties within the village.”

Social landlord Home Group submitted plans earlier this month, which consisted of 12 homes for rent, 12 for shared ownership and 11 for open market sale.

Home Group said that the open market houses would subsidise the affordable homes.

Of the 24 rented and shared-ownership homes, 12 would be two-bedroom and 12 would be three-bedroom and be a mixture of semi-detached and terraced housing.

Of the 11 open market houses, there would be one three-bedroom detached bungalow, three three-bedroom detached houses, five four-bedroom houses and two four-bedroom detached houses.

Each house would have two off-road parking spaces.

There are now 36 families in Brigham on a waiting list for social housing.

Earlier this month it was revealed that Kirkcross Developments wants to build 50 homes on the village’s Kirkcross Quarry site, including 20 “affordable” homes.

Work on 10 apartments in the former police headquarters in the village was completed in May.

The council will hand in the letter of objection to Allerdale today along with 17 letters of objection from residents.

First published at 11:27, Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk