Plans for four new homes in village near Carlisle may be refused

Members of Cumberland Council's planning committee are due to meet at the Civic Centre in Carlisle on Wednesday (September 4) from 10.30am.

The proposal is for a site within the grounds of Marsh House in Station Road, Burgh By Sands, and the development would involve the closure of an existing access and the creation of a new entrance.

In addition, the applicant is hoping to renovate Marsh House and remove some dilapidated outbuildings.

However, the matter will be put before the committee because the ward councillor requested that it should be determined by members due to the previous planning history and the level of local interest - and officers have recommended planning permission be refused.

It is one of just two applications due for consideration on the agenda and members will also be updated on the results of six planning appeals.

The applicant's plans for the four new dwellings. (Image: Cumberland Council Planning Portal)

According to the report, Marsh House is a period dwelling located on the southern side of West End to the immediate west of the junction with Station Road.

It states: "The dwelling has been unoccupied for a number of years and is currently in a poor state of repair.

"A single-storey utility room is attached to the western side of Marsh House, with a single garage being attached to this."

According to the report, Marsh House is located within the Burgh-by-Sands Conservation Area, the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is within the Hadrian's Wall Military Zone World Heritage Site Buffer Zone.

According to the report two of the homes would be located to the front of Marsh House with the other two located to the rear.

It states: "The dwellings would be constructed of a combination of Burgh colour brick (orange to red brown) and render, with buff sandstone and buff brick surrounds under Welsh blue slate roofs, laid in diminishing courses.

"Windows would be timber sliding sash double glazed units painted light grey, with the dormer windows being constructed of Western Red Cedar. Gutters would be extruded aluminium with rainwater pipes being cast aluminium, powder coated in black."

The proposed new access would be created onto the C2042, next to the western side of Marsh House, and would provide access to a parking area to the rear of the building.

Burgh-by-Sands Parish Council has raised a number of concerns about the application and in its response it formally asked that conditions are placed upon the development to ensure that Marsh House was returned to a habitable property.

Concerns included: the location of the access road; recurring flooding at Station Road; the additional burden on the village's Victorian sewage system; inadequate parking at the site; its location within the conservation area; and a lack of details about the scheme.