Plans to build houses in Gosforth village have moved a step closer.

The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) voted unanimously for the new builds at the development control committee meeting.

There will be a mix of houses for sale and for rent through a housing association.

Cumbria County Councillor Paul Turner spoke after the meeting. He said: “It’s good to see that Gosforth is on the way to getting some new housing.

“Planners today approved the proposal to go to the head of planning to ensure all conditions are met.

“It’s a mix of semi-detached, three-home terrace blocks, and two detached properties totalling 20 in all.

“It’s hoped that these will bring people into the village, as well as letting families that have outgrown their properties stay in the area. Local occupancy conditions apply to all the properties so they can’t be holiday lets.

“It has been a long process to get this far, with a previous application being withdrawn when concerns over layout, flooding, and appearance were raised.”

The plans presented to councillors showed the houses will be built on land opposite Ellerslie. The applicant is Castles and Coasts Housing Association, which owns and manages more than 7,000 properties in rural and urban communities across the North of England, with around 75 percent located in Cumbria.

The houses in the plans seen by councilors are for two four-bed detached houses for outright sale, along with two three-bed detached houses for sale. Also on the list of homes to be built are six three-bed semi-detached houses for affordable rent, along with three two-bed semi-detached houses for intermediate home ownership and five two-bed semi-detached houses for affordable rent.

Three letters of objection were presented at the meeting concerning drainage and flooding. One letter said: “The road regularly floods where the proposed entrance to the site”, and another which said: ‘The development of this land will drastically increase the amount of surface water added to the waterways and decrease the land’s natural ability to soak up and disperse the surface water.”

Nine letters of support were also received which included one which said: “The land there has always looked neglected and is an ideal place for new houses.”

The proposals were passed and planners can accept changes without coming back to the committee.

Planning officers at Copeland Council had no objections as it met defined housing need.