Plans for 115 new homes in Lancaster given green light again

An artist's impression of how the new homes could look

A new housing scheme near the former Lancaster Moor Hospital has again been given the thumbs up.

Planning permission was granted for 115 new houses on land north of Quernmore Road, Lancaster.

Approval had previously been given in 2023 for 116 homes, but the application was resubmitted after delays.

The application also included associated access, landscaping, public open space, electricity substation, foul water pumping station, sustainable urban drainage, and associated infrastructure.

Lancaster City Council officers had recommended the scheme be approved.

"The development provides an appropriate mix of size and type of housing, including adaptable and accessible dwellings above that required of Building Regulation," said a council report published ahead of a meeting of Lancaster City Council planning regulatory committee on Monday.

"It is also considered that the proposal achieves an appropriate layout and design that responds well to its surroundings.

"It is considered that the development will cause harm to the significance of heritage assets, through development within their setting, however it is considered that this harm is outweighed by the public benefits of the scheme and has been mitigated, to some degree, by the amendments that have been made since the original submission.

"The proposal is also considered to be acceptable in terms of residential amenity, flood risk and air quality and is capable of providing no net loss of biodiversity."

Residents spoke out against the plans at Monday's public meeting held at Morecambe Town Hall, objecting due to concerns over traffic and flooding.

Sarah Howe said there had been "many near misses and damage only incidents that I and many others have experienced", the development would cause an "unacceptable impact on highway safety" and was a "fatal accident waiting to happen".

Simon Rafaelli said: "This is not the right site for development on this scale.

"This is a very narrow stretch of road, there are known speeding issues. This is just not the right place to be bringing hundreds of cars a day."

Councillor Tim Hamilton-Cox, a Lancaster city councillor for Scotforth West, said: "We don't seem to have moved on with the surface water drainage strategy one eye ota (since 2023)."

Matt Grant, speaking on behalf of applicants Bellway Homes, said the scheme had been delayed as "the legal agreement (with the council) was never completed" due to "commercial issues that rose largely from global events" and the need to "carry out sequential tests for flood risk".

"The local highways authority does not have an objection subject to conditions being imposed that we have agreed to," said Mr Grant.

He said the development would "address the significant shortfall the council currently faces in meeting its housing targets".

Councillor Keith Budden moved that planning permission be approved.

Councillor Alan Greenwell said: "On balance we need housing and affordable housing.

"If we refuse it will be the third planning meeting in a row in which we have turned down a planning application for a housing estate."

Councillor Sue Tyldesley said: "It's not ideal. But I find it quite difficult to change that view (from 2023). I would reluctantly support it and rely on our officers to get the drainage sorted out."

But Councillor Paul Tynan said: "I'm concerned that people living in these houses and children wanting to play somewhere will be shoved to the outside of the development. I don't really understand why there isn't a central 'kickabout' place. And we've also heard quite a lot about traffic issues."

In a vote, eight councillors voted in favour of granting planning permission, subject to the satisfactory completion of a legal agreement within three months, and subject to conditions.

Four councillors voted against and one abstained.

In 2023, the planning regulatory committee had voted eight to six in favour of granting planning permission.

There had been at least 190 objections to the scheme from members of the public.

Read more: Plans for 116 new houses near former hospital approved after split vote - Beyond Radio

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