100 new homes plan fears for Lancaster landmarks and conservation area

Lancaster City Council’s planning committee is to consider the proposal for 116 homes for farmland north of Quernmore Road at its meeting on Monday.

The application, by Bellway Homes, is for mainly two and three-storey houses, with one third being affordable.

However, Lancaster Civic Society, South Lancaster Flood Action Group and Quernmore Parish Council have all raised concerns, including whether the site has been officially earmarked for housing in the council’s local plan, drainage, flooding downstream, road capacity and the impact of extra families on schools and doctors.

Conservation officers have also highlighted concerns about the development’s visual impact.

The report says: “The lack of existing tree cover within the site means the harm caused to its open character is difficult to mitigate in the short to medium term.

"While there has been the introduction of a small area of open space and trees at the heart of the scheme, this is not extensive nor sufficient to create a meaningful screen to address the harmful impact on views in the longer term.”

The site is close to the Forest of Bowland area of outstanding natural beauty, and planning policy says great weight should be given to landscapes and scenic beauty in areas of outstanding natural beauty including distant views of other locations.

The surrounding Lancaster Moor Conservation Area also has a number of important buildings and locations.

Close by are the former Lancaster Moor Hospital, which is Grade II listed and now contains residential apartments, as well as the Grade II listed Lancaster Cemetery which contains several individually listed structures, Grade II* listed Standen Park House, and there is also a recently designated conservation area covering the former hospital building and a wider area.

Grade II listed Williamson Park and the Grade I listed Ashton Memorial are also close to the site.

While modern developments such as the M6, the auction mart and housing at the former hospital have all changed the area, care has been taken to ensure that the rural character is retained through landscaping and the siting of this new development, planning officers say.

Any harm from the new homes should be weighed against the public benefits, the report adds. The council currently has a significant under-supply of deliverable housing sites.

This site is in a sustainable location on the edge of Lancaster and new affordable housing would be of significant public benefit.

A Roman road is understood to exist in the area, along with part of a 19th century racecourse, traces of which are still visible.

This means a phased scheme of archaeological works should be considered, planning officers say.

Planning officers are advising councillors to approve the application with various conditions, including building materials, providing 35 affordable homes, cash contributions from the developers for high school places and bus services, creating a management company and maintaining the site’s landscaping, drains and lighting.

It is felt that whilst the development will result in the loss of open agricultural land, it would not be overly prominent within the landscape and would relate well with the existing residential development nearby.

"The amended layout and design now responds positively to the existing built environment,” the report says.