Genesis homes plan for 90 homes near Carlisle deferred

Members of Cumberland Council's planning committee met at the Civic Centre in Carlisle to consider the planning application from Genesis Homes (North) on Wednesday (January 31).

The developer was hoping to build the new properties on land to the west of junction on Orton Road and Sandsfield Lane and, as well as the residential development, the application was for associated infrastructure.

Barbara Percival, a planning officer at the council, told members that nine of the buildings would be classed as "discounted sale" properties.

Local resident Kevin Smith opposed the development because he felt there were road safety issues. He said: "Sandsfield Lane is extremely dangerous. The speed limit is 40mph for those who stick to it."

He said the residents would be crammed in like "sardines" and added: "90 houses on that little estate is not right."

Locator map of the proposed Genesis Homes site near Carlisle (Image: Newsquest)

Ward councillor Jeanette Whalen (Yewdale, Labour) said that, while there was a need for housing in Carlisle, it had more than addressed in the area through a number of recent housing developments and residents would be disturbed by traffic during the construction of the development.

Sam Greig, the applicant’s agent, said construction traffic would be covered by planning conditions and highways safety issues would be improved by alterations to the junction of Orton Road and Sandsfield Lane.

He said: "It will significantly improve that junction. There is open space within the site but there is also a financial contribution [to improve the area]."

However, councillor Chris Southward (Denton Holme, Labour) disagreed and said: "There's little in the way of on-site open space and I'd have thought it amenable to stick a playground in there for the kids."

Jane Meek, the council's assistant director of thriving place and investment, told members that the application could be deferred until a future meeting so officers could talk to the applicant so the application could be revised and members agreed with her proposal.

Plans of the proposed Genesis Homes site near Carlisle (Image: Newsquest)

The application was before the committee because is for a housing development which covers an area exceeding two hectares.

It was recommended that permission be granted subject to a number of conditions including:

The provision of affordable housing - nine discounted sale properties and nine with affordable rent;

Payment of £409,800 towards secondary education;

Payment of £6500 towards a traffic regulation order;

Payment of £6600 towards a travel plan monitoring fee;

Payment of £78,433.50 to enhance, increase accessibility, and upgrade existing facilities on Yewdale Road and Richmond Green;

Payment of £29,484 toward the provision of artificial pitches district wide;

The management of on-site open space.

According to a planning report the 5.83-hectare site is described as agricultural land – however, the area of land proposed for dwellings covers an area of 3.3 hectares.

It was proposed that the remainder of the land, to the north west, would be used for the disposal of surface water and the associated outfall into an unnamed watercourse located to the west of the site.

It was proposed that the development would consist of a range of different house types including:

two-storey terraced/semi-detached two-bedroom dwellings;

single-storey detached two bedroom properties;

two-storey detached three-bedroom buildings with or without an attached garage;

two-storey detached four-bedroom homes with an attached garage;

two-storey four-bedroom detached houses with an attached garage;

two-storey three-bedroom semi-detached dwellings;

storey and half detached three-bedroom properties with attached garage;

two and half storey five-bedroom buildings (with or without attached/detached garages;

two-storey detached four-bedroom homes (with attached garage).