Crunch time for Story Homes bid to build 67 homes in Thursby

A resubmitted bid to build the dwellings on land to the west of St Andrew's View in Thursby will be decided in a meeting at Allerdale House next week.

The original proposal was refused by Allerdale Council’s planning panel in April following speeches from concerned residents and almost three hours of deliberations. 

Residents claimed the development would lead to traffic chaos and a loss of the village feel.

If approved, the dwellings would be a second phase of Story’s development in Thursby objectors told councillors that noise from the busy A595 and the nearby wind turbine would be exacerbated by additional housing.

READ MORE: Planning permission refused for 67 dwellings in Thursby from Story Homes

Councillors sympathised with objectors and refused the application but Story Homes has resubmitted the bid with a new noise survey and assessment of shadow flicker.

Shadow flicker from the wind turbine is one of the issues raised by objectors at the meeting in April.

Officers are recommending that councillors approve the homes on Tuesday July 5, subject to conditions and the signing of a legal agreement.

Conditions imposed by the council remain the same. If members of the panel grant Story Homes approval, the housebuilder will be required to include 13 affordable housing units in the development; seven for affordable rent, three starter homes and three low cost housing.

READ MORE: Carlisle named fourth best for planning approval rates in the UK

Story Homes would also be required to produce a Travel Plan Monitoring Contribution of £6,600.

Councillors will be taken on a site visit on Monday before making their decision.

Despite concerns raised by residents, the case officer’s report finds that scale and layout, highway safety and noise levels would all be “acceptable.”

On the issue of shadow flicker, they said: “The impacts from shadow flicker from nearby wind turbines would not lead to unacceptable living conditions of the dwellings.”