Kingmoor wins appeal over Carlisle housing

Acting on behalf of Kingmoor Park Properties, How Planning has secured outline planning approval on appeal for up to 300 new homes at Harker Industrial Estate on the outskirts of Carlisle.

The site currently houses former Ministry of Defence warehouses and is allocated for residential development in Carlisle City Council’s Local Plan. The application was initially refused at committee in January 2017, against officer recommendation, on two grounds: that it would make an inadequate contribution towards education provision and lacked an affordable housing provision.

However, following a public inquiry in autumn 2017, the Inspector concluded that the proposal would make an appropriate contribution towards meeting identified local housing needs, including affordable housing, resulting in outline planning approval being granted on appeal.

It was noted that subsequent to the appeal’s launch, the appellant had entered further negotiations with both city council and Cumbria County Council, with both authorities satisfied that sufficient Section 106 contributions would be made to mitigate against the scheme’s impact. In education specifically, although there is no current capacity in local secondary schools, contributions have been secured from two other developments to go towards funding expansion projects.

James Berggren, senior planner at How, said: “The Inspector’s decision is welcomed and will help kickstart the redevelopment of this allocated brownfield site. It will be great to see it brought forward and developed for much needed family and affordable housing in Carlisle.”

Kingmoor Park, at junction 44 of the M6, is a 400-acre former MoD site that now has Enterprise Zone status. It is a long-term development project by Kingmoor, the business controlled by former Swinton Insurance chairman Brian Scowcroft. The group has owned the site since 1999 and also possesses Kingmoor Park Wrexham and Bridgewater Business Park in Leigh.

Architects Plus has designed the scheme.

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