RESIDENTS are fighting plans to build over 160 houses in their village.

The newly-formed action group Stop Gleeson Homes @Houghton said the proposal is out of scale for the size and rural location of the village.

Housing developer Gleeson Homes submitted an application to build the housing estate on agricultural land next to the village last month, with the response from residents being strongly against it.

This saw a parish council meeting attended by over 200 people to express their concerns.

The group said there are major worries over the suitability of the site, which floods regularly during periods of heavy rain, as well as issues over access.

Various concerns have also been raised by the community questioning whether the build will strike a balance between economic development and environmental preservation, all the whilst not adding to an 'already strained' infrastructure. 

Kyle Brown, a spokesperson for the group, said: “The strength of the feeling amongst residents in the village against the plans is overwhelming.

“There are real and valid concerns about the negative impact of such a massive development on the village.

“It would harm the character of Houghton forever and put unsustainable pressure on the current infrastructure.

“The site that is being proposed goes against the local plan for Carlisle which identifies land suitable for housing, and the guidelines around ‘windfall developments’ for land which falls outside of the plan.

“We feel it is unnecessary over-development in a rural village which already has sites for housing earmarked for development.

“Our first priority is to urge anyone who has concerns about the proposals to lodge an objection with Cumberland Council before the deadline of Monday, July 31.”

Stanwix Rural Parish Council voted unanimously to strongly object to the application at a meeting on June 14.

In response, a spokesperson from Gleeson argued that the area is in need of homes being built, and since being established in Cumbria they’ve seen a significant demand for this, particularly in Carlisle

They added: “We appreciate that some residents will have concerns relating to the development in Houghton and we have designed this scheme to ensure that it is resilient to climate change, incorporating sustainable drainage systems to reduce the chance of flooding and installing air source heat pumps within each home.

“A third of the site’s total area will remain undeveloped to allow the planting of hedges and wildflower meadows, increasing biodiversity on the development by at least 10 per cent.

“In response to residents’ concerns relating to increased demand on local infrastructure, we are working closely with Cumberland Council to ensure that there is no unnecessary pressure on the road network, with Houghton benefitting from excellent transport links to the motorway and city centre.

“Prior to the launch of our two Carlisle-based developments, we funded additional school places and we will be working closely with the council to ensure children living in our homes have school places within their catchment area.

“We are openly welcoming residents to attend a drop-in session at Houghton Village Hall on July 18 to discuss their concerns and view detailed plans of the development”.