PROPOSALS to build homes at a former ostrich farm and attraction have been given the go-ahead.

Eden District Council has granted permission, earlier this month, for Penrith developer Willan Homes and Developments to build 25 homes on land at Langwathby Hall Farm, Penrith.

According to the plans, two buildings would be bulldozed to make way for the new development.

The site was formerly Ostrich World which, it is understood, closed down about 2011 - the farm had been created in the 1990s.

Despite the rural location the site is described as “brownfield in nature” because of the former attraction.

According to the design and access statement: “The proposed development is for 25 total dwellings including six affordable together with associated access, highways and landscaped areas.

“The housing mix consists of a range of family housing with three bedroom semi-detached properties and a variety of three and four-bedroom detached homes.

“This infill brownfield site is located to the western edge of Langwathby and is a small parcel of land previously used as a vehicular circulation area to the former ostrich farm and providing hardstanding for a number of caravan pitches.

“The overall area of 0.9 hectares, 2.2 acres, enclosed on three sides, with the north western boundary open to a paddock.

“The ambition is to provide a range of housing stock with reasonable garden provision and a sensible provision for car parking on private plots.

“The design has been developed to form a number of street frontages – to the north, east and south, with a 4.8m wide access road with two shared access drives to the west.

“No designated or non-designated heritage assets are presently recorded.”

According to the archaeological assessment which states: “From the middle of the 19th century the proposed development site has been utilised for agricultural purposes, with evidence from the Langwathby Tithe Map indicating that it formed part of the land associated with Langwathby Hall, and had historically been part of a pasture field known as Middle Croft.

“There is some evidence for prehistoric, Roman and early medieval activity around the modern village of Langwathby, however there is presently no information on remains within the village itself, and therefore the potential for archaeological features relating to these periods is unknown.

“The establishment of Eden Ostrich World consisted of the creation of a tourist attraction which had car parking, new buildings, a pond, and paths among other features.”

The developer was asked for comment but they had not responded at time of going to press.