164-home development approved for Egremont

Members of Cumberland Council's planning committee considered the application from Gleeson Homes at a meeting at the Copeland Centre in Whitehaven on Wednesday (July 17).

It was for a 7.78-hectare site, made up of two fields separated by a hedgerow, on land south of Daleview Gardens and it was proposed that 10 per cent of the properties would be classed as 'affordable homes'.

Planning officer Christie Burns told members it was not considered to have a "detrimental impact” on either the surrounding area or highway safety and it was recommended for approval subject to a number of conditions.

However, local resident Jessica Stamper disagreed with the assessment on highway safety and said: "It would create a massive impact on the traffic in that road."

She said there was also farm traffic in the area and a number of "near misses" which had been reported to a local head teacher. She added: "In the mornings traffic down there is at an absolute stand still."

Helen Park, also a local resident, said that the top field was still being farmed and she was due to hand in a petition with more than 400 signatures against the scheme.

She said local services were already struggling and there were 2,000 empty properties across Cumbria.

She added: "Why do we need more?"

Jordan Tyson, Gleeson's land manager, told members the development would involve wildflower and tree planting and it represented an investment worth millions of pounds to the town.

Land to the south of Daleview Gardens in Egremont (Image: Google Maps)

He said they provided more affordable homes than any other developer in the Cumberland Council area and the plan was supported by the town council.

Councillor Linda Jones-Bulman (Cleator Moor East and Frizington, Labour) said she shared objectors' concerns over "food security" and added: "This is agricultural land and it's a concern. We've no control over what the landowner wants to do with the land."

Councillor Tony Markley (Solway Coast, Conservative) said the highways department were happy with the proposals and he asked whether the landowner had willingly sold the land?

He was told by an officer that was the case and the land was an allocated site for development by the council.

Councillor Chris Southward (Denton Holme, Labour) proposed that they follow the recommendation to approve the scheme subject to conditions and he was seconded by councillor Roger Dobson (Corby and Hayton, Lib Dems).

When it was put to the vote members agreed and granted planning permission.