Up to 51 homes at Main Road, Nether Kellet

The site and its setting

The site comprises sloping grazing fields beside existing development, with hedgerows, stone walls, agricultural buildings and nearby heritage assets and quarry land.

“The site forming the subject of this planning application is located on the edge of Nether Kellet village, east of the M6 motorway and approximately 1.5km south of Carnforth and 5km north of Lancaster. The site comprises a 2.4 hectare site, roughly ‘L’ shaped on a steep slope rising up behind the existing built development that lines Main Road (The Limeburner’s Arms and associated allotments/beer garden), Halton Road and Springfield Gardens.”

“The site is located outside of any flood risk area (from all sources), though Main Road in the vicinity of the site is subject to surface water flood risk. It lies outside of any National Landscape and is not protected for any nature conservation interest. The Agricultural Land Classification for the site is Grade 4 (poor quality).”

Officer report

Earlier planning position

There was no recent relevant planning history for the site, while older nearby housing refusals were not considered relevant to this application.

“There is no recent and relevant planning history to report in relation to the site itself. There have been some historic refusals for housing on land in the vicinity of the site (before the Spring Garden development) for smaller developments but given the age of these decisions they are not relevant material considerations to this application.”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended approval because housing, affordable homes, transport and community benefits outweighed landscape, countryside and heritage harm, subject to obligations and conditions.

“The main issues weighing against the proposal relate to the localised landscape impacts and the less than substantial harm identified to the setting of the Conservation Area. The harm to the landscape and the countryside area is potentially capable of being minimised through embedded design mitigation at the reserved matters stage, though the loss of countryside cannot be mitigated in full.”

“On balance, whist the development is considered to cause less than substantial harm to the setting of designated heritage assets, it is considered that this is outweighed by the public benefits of the scheme and would therefore not provide a clear reason to refuse permission.”

Officer report

Who spoke

Two residents spoke against the application and an agent spoke in favour.

The committee’s debate

The committee considered a proposal to approve the application with the affordable housing provision amended to up to 40%.

“It was proposed by Councillor Sandra Thornberry and seconded by Councillor Alan Greenwell:”

“That the application be approved subject to an amendment to the affordable housing provision to be up to 40% and subject to the conditions in the Committee Report.”

Minutes

How the vote went

Twelve councillors supported the proposal, none opposed it and three abstained.

“Upon being put to the vote, 12 Councillors voted in favour of the proposal with none against and 3 abstentions, whereupon the Chair declared the proposal to have been carried.”

Minutes