Plans for 22 'executive' houses at Rheda North Park set for approval

An application for 22 houses on land at North Park, Rheda, has been recommended for approval when it goes before members of Cumberland Council’s planning panel on Wednesday.

Outline planning permission was granted by the now dissolved Copeland Council and a reserved matters application has now been lodged with the new authority, by the applicant, KCS Agriculture Ltd.

The scheme would see detached three and four-bedroom houses built on two hectares of land, next to Rheda Park and the Beckstones housing development, which is currently under construction by Genesis Homes.

The houses will be built on land known as Rheda North Park, next to the existing Beckstones development by Genesis Homes (Image: Google Earth)

Access to the site will be via the existing highway serving the Beckstones housing development.

READ MORE: Plans for new homes near Frizington approved

Arlecdon and Frizington Parish Council have supported concerns raised by the Rheda Park Residents Association.

They have raised “serious concerns” around the overloading of the foul water and surface water drainage system and say flooding already occurs on the highway between Frizington to Bowthorn, next to the Beckstones development.

The parish council also say the development will increase traffic and pose a threat to wildlife including bats, birds and red squirrels.

In the plans, the lead local flood authority said it was aware of drainage issues in the area and it was therefore, of some “great disappointment” that a detailed scheme of drainage had not been submitted with the application.

A total of 36 objections were received from members of the public – who say, “residents do not want more dwellings in the location, they want green fields, safe playing areas and the rural lifestyle promised”.

Objectors also say the proposed development is “inappropriate” and “out of scale for the location” and suggest that brownfield sites in the area should be development before greenfield land is released.

They say the development will add pressure to “already overloaded” utilities.

However, the applicant says that the development will attract people to the area, helping with economic growth and will meet the need for larger, ‘executive’ style properties in the north of the borough.