RESIDENTS have raised concerns over plans to build more than 70 houses in Brampton.

The Greenside Estate Trustees have submitted a planning application to Cumberland Council with the hope of developing 76 ‘affordable’ homes in Brampton on land south of the A6071.

Application documents from the developers state that: "The development of the site represents an opportunity for positive and beneficial growth and the creation of a sustainable and healthy community, in line with the place-making aspirations set out in the Carlisle District Local Plan 2015-2030.

"The proposal sets out to deliver a landscape led masterplan which retains the existing green assets and enhances the wider green network."

The design and access statement states that the proposed houses are, among other things, designed with a low-carbon approach in mind, the design of the houses will respond to the rural context and local vernacular architecture, and the scheme will promote an active lifestyle including play areas, areas of public realm and wellbeing routes within the site.

But Tom Adams, chair of the Carlisle and District Green Party, said: “Pre-planning advice to the applicant from the planning authority stated that the scheme was larger than normal windfall development (usually deemed to be less than 10 dwellings) and as such may not be deemed policy compliant.

“They said this because the land in question is environmentally sensitive.

“In short, an exceptionally good case must be made for affordable housing to counterbalance these sustainability issues.

“In my view, this threshold has not been met.

“Developments of this scale should be restricted to sites allocated in the local plan rather than on the pretence that this is a windfall ‘exception’ site.”

He also said there’s no evidence for the need of this many affordable houses in Brampton, as calculations are based on the Carlisle district as a whole.

He said: “Brampton is rapidly ceasing to be the place that attracted people to come here in the first place.

“The cumulative impact on local services from these estates will be dramatic.

“The strain that Brampton Medical Practice is under has already been widely reported, with 400 or more new patients being added annually (according to official figures).

“Similar overstretch is being experienced by dentists and pharmacies in Brampton.”

Brampton resident Stuart Haughton said there are environmental concerns: “My property is on Station Road where the land for the proposed development is, at the lowest point of the field, and in the winter it frosted over, defrosted, and created a pond at the other side of the wall and flooded the conservatory, so as and when the development goes on there won’t be any way to avoid more of that.

“Then there’s the aspect that on one side of the field is some ancient woodland with deer and red squirrels, which will be side by side to the development.”

Another Brampton resident, Mike Baker, said: “Although the trustees said the plan would be to build affordable eco-houses, their plan is flawed both in location and model.

“There is a general distrust of any property developers, especially when there are promises of affordable housing, as in the past these haven’t been delivered.

“For example the recent estate Winchester Place, built by Story Homes in Brampton, was meant to build more affordable houses but then the plans changed once they got their plans agreed.”

Dr Alban, a partner at Brampton Medical Practice, stated: "Brampton Medical Practice would not be permitted to close its list to new residents of Brampton unless we sought an agreement to do so from the Integrated Care Board for the North East and North Cumbria, which is not our current intention.

"However, since we are currently unable to secure new GPs to replace those retiring or moving away it is inevitable that an additional 70+ households will have a significant and onerous impact on a service that is already stretched to an unacceptable degree.

"With this new development, access to GP appointments will be even more difficult than it is now."

To learn more about the planning application, click here.