Up to 300 new homes in pipeline for Lancaster district

Proposals for the housing developments are on the agenda for Monday's city council planning committee to consider - and all have been recommended for approval.

If all are given the go-ahead, this would mean 292 new homes would be built across Lancaster, Heysham, Halton and Cockerham.

The schemes have all previously gone before the committee, but are being re-presented in light of the new Local Plan, which was officially adopted by the council earlier this month.

The Homes and Communities Agency submitted plans to build 71 new homes to land at the Royal Albert Farm site off Pathfinders Drive in Lancaster.

Also in the plans is the conversion into six apartments of Grade 2 listed building Derby Home, which is connected to the Jamea Al Kauthar Islamic College (formerly the Royal Albert Hospital).

The application was originally considered by the planning committee in December 2017.

Any agreement would be asked to see 30 per cent of the new properties being affordable homes, split 50:50 between affordable rented and shared ownership.

Alongside this, the recommendations include the setting up of a private management company to ensure public open space and amenity space, a payment of £77,000 towards off-site road improvement works, and £70,000 towards bus service provision.

Also in Lancaster are plans for 27 two-storey homes off Wyresdale Road.

The application was first seen by the committee in June 2019.

The houses would be made up of four two-bedroom, six three-bedroom and 17 four-bedroom proeprties.

Among the conditions of approval are that the scheme includes six affordable units, made up of four two-bedroom properties for affordable rent and two three-bedroom properties for shared ownership.

The committee is also asked to request £30,000 towards running the Number 18 bus from Lancaster to Lancaster Farms via Williamson Park, £71,212 towards secondary education spaces for three pupils at Central Lancaster High School, and long-term maintenance of non-adopted open space.

Holden Homes Ltd are looking to build up to 75 houses in Heysham - an application first submitted in June 2018.

If approved, they would be built on land south of the Trumacar Lane playing fields, off Middleton Road.

Conditions of approval include a guarantee that 15 per cent of the development is affordable housing.

Developers are also asked to pay £56,869.24 towards four primary school places in the local area, and £80,000 towards off-site open space.

A plan originally submitted in April by Russell Armer Ltd for 65 homes in Halton is also on the agenda.

The houses are earmarked for land behind Pointer Grove and next to High Road, close to St Wilfrid's Primary School.

The site, currently used for agricultural purposes, would see 65 homes made up of two one-bedroom apartments, 12 two-bedroom houses, 35 three-bedroom houses and 16 four-bedroom houses.

The developers would have to ensure 13 of the properties are affordable homes, seven of which are of shared ownership and six are affordable rented.

They would also have to provide open space including an on-site play area.

Meanwhile, two applications for developments in Cockerham will also be looked at.

One application, first seen by the committee last year, would see 24 new homes built on farmland to the east of Lancaster Road and north of Willey Lane.

This would include 30 per cent affordable housing split 50:50 between affordable rented and shared ownership.

A payment of £48,370.32 towards two secondary school places would also be included, along with an open space contribution.

A second scheme in the village, which initially went before the committee in 2018, would see a further 24 homes on farmland at the back of The Manor Inn in Main Street.

This would again require 30 per cent to be affordable housing, split 50:50 between affordable rented and shared ownership.

Councillors are also asked to request a contribution of £94,949.12 for four secondary school places and an open space contribution.