Protest against new homes on green belt near A6 reaches 10 Downing Street

Campaigners against a housing development planned for green belt land near the A6 were joined by a former MP as they handed petitions in at 10 Downing Street.

Lesley Bryan and Diane Archbold, and David Morris, former MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, presented three petitions signed by 2,734 people at the official London residence of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

The petitions all asked for the land between Slyne and Bolton le Sands to be retained as green belt and to remain undeveloped. 

An outline planning application for the scheme, on land to the west of Slyne Road, has been submitted to Lancaster City Council, who will make a decision on whether to grant permission in due course.

This is to build "up to 200 dwellings, including affordable housing, public open space, landscaping, and sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) and associated works".

"The land is so precious in so many ways," said Lesley Bryan, from the Greenbelt Action Group (Slyne with Hest and Bolton le Sands).

"Allowing developers to build here is a lose lose situation. (It's the) loss of green belt and all that goes with this and loss of opportunity to access an affordable home for new starters because developers have been allowed to cherry pick the most profitable locations and overlook areas that would genuinely provide more affordable homes. 

"The communities of Bolton le Sands and Slyne with Hest to this day continue to be very proud and distinct communities. There are so many fantastically popular local groups in both settlements that work so hard to cater for all ages and interests from horticulture to Brownies and they have been very supportive of our mission to retain our local green belt. We are so grateful to them all in showing their love so readily for their local area. 

"To build on the local green belt wouldn’t just spoil the beautiful long views so cherished by so many. The fields are part of the setting of protected historical interests (Slyne conservation area and Slyne Hall). They protect local history, protect and strengthen community identity, nurture mental well being, provide habitat for nature such as red listed lapwings and curlews, they provide a dark sky zone, act as a natural sponge to alleviate local flooding and are used for agriculture. They form part of the formally recognised coastal drumlin landscape and emphasise that the urban area of Lancaster has been left behind for the District’s more rural area. 

"There is very little local employment here (with) limited school places and large shops. Essentially any new development will rely on residents joining existing residents in commuting. The traffic along the A6 is very heavy at peak times (and) bus services are limited. Naturally the new development will be largely family sized homes - all with busy lives wanting to access services at some distance from their properties, all preferring the car as a mode of transport because it is quick and convenient. 

"Meanwhile while developers profit on building estates of top price housing (even the affordable portion will be expensive), houses in our District, hundreds of them lie vacant. Houses that would be truly affordable and in sustainable locations.

"To build on green belt is the developers' preferred option. It will not provide the affordable homes this District needs but rather result in existing more centrally placed properties being overlooked, leaving a dying city centre devoid of permanent residents and a District where rural areas sprawl outwards and in time all joining into one big concrete jungle. 

"I would like to stress that our group have absolutely no political affiliation but welcomes anyone who offers to positively assist us in our wish to retain our green belt."

Mr Morris, who was MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale from 2010 until 2024, said in a post on his social media page on November 20: "Today, I accompanied the representatives of the Bolton le Sands Lapwings group to deliver a petition to Keir Starmer at No 10 Downing Street.

"We are opposed to building on the greenbelt which provides wonderful green space, agricultural land, wildlife preservation and a much needed division between the two ancient settlements of Slyne with Hest and Bolton le Sands."

Mr Morris, a Conservative, also hit out at his successor as MP, Lizzi Collinge of Labour.

"A few months ago there were two public meetings held on the same evening in Bolton le Sands community hall attended by hundreds of local residents and myself. The current Labour MP declined to attend.

"A few days later the same Labour MP opened an empty horticultural show before anyone arrived at the same village hall.

"It is really unfortunate that the current MP cares more about vegetables than residents' concerns and has been silent on what is a huge issue for the people of Bolton le Sands."

Beyond Radio asked Ms Collinge (below) if she would like to respond to Mr Morris' comments.

She said: "I've been in regular contact with constituents about their concerns over house building in Bolton-le-Sands and have supported them to ensure they can make their views known to the city council in the proper way and ensure the city council follows proper procedure.

"This of course includes to their city councillors who are their elected representatives on local planning matters. 

"Unfortunately I was unable to attend the public meeting due to a prior engagement. It isn't accurate to say that I declined to attend.

"The horticultural show was thriving as ever and an excellent opportunity to chat to local residents about a whole host of issues. I'm not sure why Mr Morris chooses to be rude about events run by his former constituents or why he continues to make untrue statements about me. I choose to focus on the job in hand."

A statement submitted to the council on behalf of the developer said: "The site, measuring 11.3 hectares, comprises three fields and part of a fourth field, all in active agricultural use, on land to the west of the A6 Slyne Road.

Below, the land near the A6.

"The site is bounded by Slyne Road to the east, agricultural land to the south being promoted by Story Homes and Bryn Grove, residential development to the west (off The Paddocks, Kirklands, and Hatlex Hill).

"To the north the site is bounded by a post and wire fence inside an existing hedgerow, the remainder of the northern agricultural field (presently an open boundary), and properties on Pinewood Avenue and Greenwood Drive.

"Existing access to the site is via field gates on Slyne Road (adjacent to which there is a Grade II listed mile marker), Greenwood Drive and Hatlex Hill.

"A consultation exercise was completed in May and June 2025, proposing a development of up to 250 homes. The SCI records that the public consultation undertaken was highly effective, eliciting almost 300 responses in the two-week consultation period.

"As a direct consequence of the pre-application consultation exercise, the proposal has been reduced from 250 homes to 200 homes, with a greater proportion of public open space being provided on site."

The statement says up to 90 (45 per cent) of any new houses will be affordable homes.

It also proposes new vehicular access off the A6 Slyne Road by way of a priority junction and new ghost island right turn, with Greenwood Drive as secondary emergency vehicle access; pedestrian and cycle links to Slyne Road, Greenwood Road and Hatlex Hill, and significant areas of "public open space, amenity space and blue infrastructure" including "new structure landscaping including trees and vegetation to create attractive informal public open spaces and street scenes", children's play areas, walking paths and "retention and enhancement of natural habitat around the existing hedgerow areas".

"The proposals are based on sound design principles that have taken into account site constraints and opportunities presented by the site," it says.

"Consideration has been given to achieving a sensitive integration between the proposed development and the existing settlement.

"The housing mix will reflect the accommodation needs of different people, families and ages."

It also says "the development could create a high quality and pleasant residential environment, that will be a desirable place to live" and "proposals will deliver transport infrastructure including highways and pedestrian networks throughout the scheme thus delivering a development with good accessibility to local services and facilities in Bolton-le-Sands, and adjacent neighbouring villages of Hest Bank and Slyne".

"It is likely that, subject to market conditions, on average around 40 market dwellings would be completed per annum," it says.

The report also says "the development of the site would not comprise inappropriate development in the Green Belt".

"The site lies on the edge of Bolton-le-Sands, which is a Sustainable Rural Settlement, but it also adjoins Hest Bank which itself is contiguous with Slyne," it says.

"The scale of development proposed would therefore not be disproportionate to the scale of the three conjoined settlements, and it could be readily assimilated into the landscape and local urban form.

"The development will contribute towards meeting pressing housing needs and addressing a chronic shortage of both market and affordable homes."

The applicant is Warren Cadman of Wrenman Strategic Land.

Lancaster City Council is facing a major shortage of new housing in the District.

Although the council's latest Local Plan, published in September, shows an improvement on local housing need figures from a two-year supply to 2.8 years, this remains some way short of the required five-year housing supply.

"The city council recognises that its current housing land supply position is challenged with an absence of deliverable sites available in the short term to deliver a sufficient supply of housing," says the plan.

"On that basis the council has now commenced a full review of its Local Plan. The full review will allow new opportunities for development to be explored and will investigate the barriers which are currently preventing sites from coming forward.

"The city council is looking to make progress on the review with a draft plan scheduled for consultation next year. Work on a new Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) is also under way."

The planning application and supporting documents can be found at lancaster.gov.uk in the Planning section - reference number 25/00805/OUT.

Read more: INTERVIEW: Residents step up campaign against new homes on Green Belt near A6 - Beyond Radio