The amount of affordable housing in two significant developments in a Westmorland and Furness town has been welcomed.
Members on the Strategic Planning Committee approved applications relating to sites allocated for residential development at Nook Farm, Colthouse Lane and West End Farm, West End Lane, in Ulverston.
Outline planning permission for up to 330 dwellings at Nook Farm was granted in 2017. A total of 266 were proposed in the application before the committee from Quince Homes Ltd, which dealt with reserved matters of access within the site, layout, appearance and landscaping.
In the application, 93 units of the 266 are to be affordable, which complies with the 35 per cent minimum policy requirement. Forty six of these will be affordable/ social rent and 47 intermediate – either assigned to the council's discounted sale scheme or provided as shared ownership by a local housing association.
For West End Farm, there was a full planning application from Story Homes for the erection of 111 dwellings.
This proposal included 39 affordable units, also equating to 35 per cent of the total number. These dwellings would be located throughout the development, broadly in small clusters. Comprising of eight one-bedroom units, 19 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom. 19 of the affordable units would be intermediate housing and twenty would be for affordable/social rent, as per the council’s housing strategy.
Councillor Judith Derbyshire, Cabinet Member for Housing and Community Safety, said: "Westmorland and Furness Council is committed to supporting more housing to meet all needs so that local families can build a life here, new people can be attracted to relocate and older residents and those with disabilities are able to live as independently as possible whilst receiving the support they need.
"We support high-quality housing that is affordable, well designed and energy efficient and accompanied by appropriate infrastructure to support communities – and it is particularly pleasing to see the levels of affordable housing in these two schemes.
"In many parts of the country housing need in general outstrips demand so it is great to see two well-thought-out schemes come forward at the same time in Ulverston. These are great examples of how the council and developers can work together positively to build much-needed housing in a way which supports and enhances the existing community."
Click here to access the committee reports for both applications.