Plans to extend a housing scheme on land near Cleator Moor to nearly 200 homes look set to get the green light.

High Grange Developments Ltd has applied to Copeland Council for outline planning permission to build 65 homes on three hectares of land as part of the Keekle Meadows residential development at Mill Hill.

The application is due to be considered by Copeland Council’s planning panel at The Copeland Centre at 2pm today, with planning officers having recommended the outline plans for approval.

An outline planning application to build 66 homes on land west of Mill Hill was approved in 2012, with two further applications to build housing to the west approved since.

An entrance which would serve all of the new homes has already been created.

A report from planning officers said: “This is considered to be an acceptable outline proposal which will provide additional housing land in a sustainable location to meet existing housing needs.”

The report said Cleator Moor Town Council had raised concerns about a number of issues with the development, including that the area had not been highlighted for housing in the Local Plan and was outside the settlement boundary for the town, adding that members were opposed to developing greenfield sites.

Councillors also felt that reduced staffing at Sellafield and the collapse of the Moorside development meant there would be less need for new housing, while it was also noted that there was a lack of affordable housing in the plans.

The shrinking gap between Keekle and Cleator Moor was highlighted, with fears that it could “destroy” the identities of the two places.

The council also pointed out that there was no provision for children’s play areas despite the size of the overall development.