LAND TO THE EAST OF LANSDOWNE CLOSE, CARLISLE
Public Consultation
WELCOME
Welcome to United Living New Homes and Castles & Coasts’ public consultation website. This website has been created to provide information about the updated proposals for new homes to the east of Lansdowne Crescent and Lansdowne Court, Carlisle, and to gather feedback on the proposals.
The aim of this consultation is to provide you with information about United Living New Homes and Castles & Coasts’ revised development proposals and enable you to share any comments you may have. Design work on the proposal is ongoing, meaning that the information presented here may change in response to the comments received through this consultation.
In 2022, a full planning application was submitted for the development of 101 new homes with associated parking, landscaping, drainage and surface water attenuation, public open space and access. This application was subsequently refused by Cumberland Council’s Planning Committee.
This new application addresses the previous reasons for refusal and delivers an altogether better development of much needed affordable housing. This website sets out the details of these changes alongside details about the site and application context.
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Proposed Housing Site
Proposed Open Space Site
View of the site
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THE SITE
The total site comprises approximately 7.5 hectares of agricultural land located to the north of Carlisle City Centre. The site slopes in topography north to south and is currently used as agricultural land with access gained from fields to the east, via Tarraby Lane.
The site is situated on the edge of an established residential area with residential form to the north, west and south. Dwellings to the north form part of the recently developed housing development by Persimmon Homes, named Tarraby View; remaining residential form is predominantly comprised of late 20th century developments, being a mix of bungalows and 2 storey houses.
The majority (north-western area) of the site has been allocated for residential Development under Policy HO1 of the Carlisle District Local Plan.
Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site Buffer Zone extends across the south of the site east to west (there is no development proposed in this area).
Three TPO groups of trees are located along the eastern, northern and western boundaries. An area wide Nutrient Neutrality Area (‘River Eden SAC’) covers the site and the appropriate mitigation for this will be provided as part of a planning application.
Proposed Site Layout
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THE APPLICATION
Previous Planning Application
A detailed application (22/0297) was submitted for the site in April 2022 by the same applicant for the erection of 101no. dwellings with associated parking, landscaping, drainage and surface water attenuation, public open space and access. The application was recommended for refusal by officers and refused at committee on 5th June 2024, although it was noted that the principle of residential development in this location is acceptable.
Two reasons for refusal were provided, relating to the impact of the proposal on existing trees (which includes several protected by a Tree Preservation Order) and increase in nutrients into the existing catchment of River Eden Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The proposals accompanying this application have been prepared in the context of these reasons and satisfy these previous concerns.
It was made clear by planning officers that there were no other technical issues with the planning application, including highways and access, and that remains the case for this revised application.
This new application seeks to address the previous reasons for refusal and deliver an altogether better development of much needed affordable housing. It is clear from the committee report that there were many positives with the previous proposal for the site and these will remain as part of the proposed development.
Comparison between the previously proposed layout and the new proposed layout
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THE APPLICATION
The Revised Proposals
Full planning permission is sought for the development of 91 no. homes (a reduction of 10 dwellings from the previous application), including associated parking, landscaping, drainage and surface water attenuation, public open space and access. All of the 91 new properties on the site are to be affordable tenures, providing a range of new homes for Affordable Rent, Rent to Buy and Shared Ownership.
The proposals are to develop the northern section of the site (covered by the housing allocation), utilising the southern half of the site for biodiversity enhancement measures. The proposals provide a large area of open greenspace preserving and retaining existing trees on site where possible (including those subject to TPOs).
The housing mix consists of a total 10no. 2 bed bungalows, 32 no. 2 bed houses, 43no. 3 bed houses and 6no. 4 bed houses. The mix includes elements of adaptable and accessible dwellings built to standard M4(2) building regulations, and all house types built to comply with Nationally Described Space Standards.
The proposed development will deliver 100% affordable housing. The current plans seek to meet the local housing need by maximising delivery of rented homes, with 65 homes proposed for affordable/social rent, and 26 homes proposed for affordable homes ownership options; Shared Ownership and Rent to Buy. The new homes will be managed by Castles and Coasts as the registered affordable housing provider.
The layout responds positively to the design policies set out in the Carlisle Local Plan and relevant Supplementary Planning Documents. Amongst other measures, this includes the provision of tree lined streets, accessible open space, sustainable urban drainage features, and elevational treatments which respond positively to the context of the site.
The key changes from the previous planning application are:
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A reduction in number of homes from 101 to 91
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Amended layout which provides a greater standoff from existing trees onsite
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Additional detail provided regarding nutrient neutrality mitigation
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A changed mix of housing types and sizes
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Removal of any development within the Hadrian’s Wall ‘Buffer Zone’
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Proposed Site Plan
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KEY BENEFITS
Key benefits of the scheme include:
A range of 2-4 bedroom family homes
100% affordable homes with a mix of tenures to suit different needs
The provision of a large area dedicated to ecological enhancements and biodiversity net gain
Job creation through the construction of new homes and jobs in the local supply chain
Additional Council Tax Revenue and New Homes Bonus Payments to the Council from National Government
TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS
A range of updated technical surveys are being undertaken for the site and will be used to influence the detail of the scheme. The surveys identify the site constraints and outline mitigation and technical specification for the development. Detailed reports will be submitted with the planning application and assessed by Cumberland Council.
Some of the key considerations are as follows:
Connectivity and Transport
As per the previous application, the vehicular access to the homes will be from Raisbeck Close to the north, with a pedestrian connection being provided onto Lansdowne Crescent to the south. A detailed Transport assessment will be submitted to Cumberland Council as part of the planning application which assesses the impact of the proposed development on local highways and ensures the proposals meet with all local and national policy and safety requirements.
Car and cycle parking has been provided having regards to the Cumbria County Council Parking Standards. A Travel Plan is being produced to accompany the application to promote and enhance the accessibility and sustainability of the development.
Flood Risk
The entire site lies within Flood Risk Zone 1 which is the category at the lowest risk of flooding.
A detailed drainage strategy and a Flood Risk Assessment will be submitted with the planning application which sets out how the proposal will be drained, incorporating Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SuDS) principles.
Nutrient Neutrality
Carlisle is located within the River Eden Special Area of Conservation catchment area, meaning that any new development which includes overnight accommodation (including housing) needs to mitigate for their nutrient impact upon this catchment.
The previous application was refused in part, because of a lack of information on this matter, albeit this approach of addressing detailed Nutrient Neutrality strategies post planning approval was recommended at the time. The revised application will contain a full suite of information to ensure the nutrient impact of the development can be fully mitigated for in accordance with local and national requirements.
Landscape and Ecology
The proposed development has been carefully designed in order to minimise the impact on the landscape character of the area. Existing trees will be retained where possible and supplemented with additional planting throughout the site. The southern half of the site will remain undeveloped, with works proposed to maximise this area for ecological benefit.
A suite of information will be submitted with the application including an Ecological Impact Assessment, Arboricultural Surveys, and species-specific ecology surveys. The development will deliver at least a 10% net gain in biodiversity across the site.
NEXT STEPS
The development proposed will provide a range of affordable high-quality properties, from bungalows to family homes in a suitable and sustainable location.
After considering the comments received during this consultation, the next steps will be:
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Submission of full planning application: Spring/Summer 2025
The Council will formally re-consult with local residents, members and technical experts: Spring/Summer 2025
Target for determination of the planning application: Autumn 2025
HAVE YOUR SAY
The comments received during this re-consultation will be used to help finalise our revised proposals in the lead up to the resubmission to Cumberland Council.
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​​​​​The closing date for comments has now passed.
Please note that responses will not be responded to on an individual basis. An analysis of the feedback received and any changes to the scheme will be reported in a Statement of Community Involvement submitted as part of the planning application.
Cumberland Council will undertake their own, independent consultation as part of the planning application process.
