Penrith Town Council has objected to plans for a new 105-home estate on land at Carleton Road.
Manchester-based Barratt Homes had submitted a revised planning application to the district council, which represented a drop of 23 houses from its previous submission for 128 homes.
Town councillors were told that the 128 house-plan was 48 per cent over the figure of 86 houses which had been allocated for the area in Eden Council’s local plan, while this proposal for 105 houses represented an increase of 22 per cent.
Scott Jackson, chairman of the town council’s planning committee, said Eden’s local plan was based on a consultation exercise with residents and should have given them a reasonable expectation of what was then going to appear.
“If sites suddenly start sprouting more houses than were agreed to in the consulted upon document (Eden local plan) then what is the point of bringing residents into the fold at all?
“Residents have a right to expect that that site should be for 86 homes and 27 above that is just ridiculous,” said Mr Jackson.
He added that it feeds into the widespread, and not unreasonable, fear that Penrith’s infrastructure was just not keeping up with the housing developments – be that schools, hospitals, or public open space and facilities.
With regards to the affordable housing element, deputy town clerk Ros Richardson said: “There is going to be 15 two to three bed houses for affordable rent, 11 three-bed houses and five two to three bed bungalows.
“There is nothing changed in the application with regards to a safe secure play area for young children within the revised layout.”
In its response to Eden Council, Penrith Town Council said there was no evidence of collaboration with other developers on a masterplan for the area as a whole with an agreed approach to internal layout, housing type, mix, landscaping etc, or consideration of the cumulative impacts of the developments.
A town council spokeswoman said: “Although some regard has been taken of the housing needs survey undertaken in 2018 and which we are advised still provides current data, the development still does not include a suitable mix of houses and bungalows.”
The housing needs survey for Penrith carried out in 2018 confirmed that the largest requirement was for two and three bedroomed houses and bungalows of a suitable size — homes for young people, the elderly, singles, the disabled and small families — whereas a total of 64 houses in this proposed development were four bed and above.
The spokeswoman added: “There does not seem to be any landscaping within the site or any safe community space in the centre of the site for people to meet and children to play. Penrith Town Council would wish to see a secure fenced play area with multi-activity play equipment.
“This together with open community space for all ages will help to promote social inclusion and healthy lifestyles. Should the development be approved and the developer not wish to include a safe and secure play area, Penrith Tow n Council would wish to receive some money to go towards the refurbishment and upgrade of a nearby play area.”
In addition, the town council want the developer to be asked to work in consultation with Persimmon Homes to provide public transport. Landscaping proposed on site should also retain the mature trees which already there.
