‘About the Poorest Planning Application I’ve Seen’: Penrith Councillors Tear Into Persimmon’s Plans 60 Houses

Persimmon Homes has been accused of submitting a “poor” and “sloppy” planning application for 60 new homes at Carleton Heights, with Penrith Town Councillors raising serious questions over the quality and accuracy of the information provided.

The application, for 60 houses and public open space on land to the east of Carleton Heights, was discussed at the latest meeting of Penrith Town Council's planning committee, where councillors went through the plans and supporting documents in considerable detail.

The site itself has a history. It was originally intended to accommodate a new primary school as part of Persimmon's earlier development at Carleton Heights, but the school was never built. Westmorland and Furness Council has now determined that the school is no longer required, and Persimmon is proposing to use the land for housing.

Councillors acknowledged that this changes the position on the land and that there may be a case for development, particularly as it has effectively become a piece of land sitting between existing housing and other development. But that was where the agreement appeared to end, because the application itself came in for some remarkably strong criticism.

One councillor, who had spent considerable time working through the supporting documents, told the meeting: “Compared to some of the planning applications recently, this is about the poorest document I've seen – and that's saying something.”

The comment was not made in isolation. As the committee worked through the application, councillors repeatedly found themselves questioning why information they would normally expect to see was either missing, unclear or appeared to relate to an earlier or wider development rather than the 60 homes now being proposed.

Drainage and water infrastructure were among the first major concerns. Councillors could find no clear information from United Utilities confirming whether the existing network has sufficient capacity for the additional homes, particularly when it comes to foul sewage and clean water. That was considered particularly important given the existing drainage issues around the site and the watercourse running alongside it.

The committee also questioned the proposed surface water arrangements. Councillors pointed to the way water already comes down towards the site from higher ground and raised concerns about whether the proposed drainage system would genuinely deal with the additional water generated by the development. They also noticed what they believed were inconsistencies within the application itself over whether parts of the site were affected by flooding.

For councillors, the absence of proper information was becoming a theme.

That was particularly obvious when they turned to archaeology. The archaeological assessment submitted with the application largely deals with land outside the current application area, despite previous investigations in the wider development having identified potentially significant medieval and pre-medieval remains. The report itself also refers to the need for further work.

Councillors questioned why Persimmon had not provided a properly updated assessment specifically covering the field where the 60 houses are now proposed. The concern was less about whether archaeology exists and more about why the application was asking the council to make a decision without the relevant site being properly assessed.

Highways and access raised similar concerns. The development is expected to use the existing estate for access, despite residents already reporting problems with on-street parking. Councillors noted that there was no clear highways response dealing with a number of the issues raised during the consultation.

The transport assessment also attracted criticism, particularly its assumptions about walking and cycling into Penrith. Councillors questioned whether distances calculated on paper accurately reflected the reality for people living on the site, particularly given the steep sections of the route into town.

The proposed public open space and play area did little to improve the impression. Although the application refers to a play area for children of different ages, councillors said there was very little detail about what was actually going to be provided. Questions were raised about its size, specification and whether it would be fenced, while its location also attracted concern because of the potential for flooding.

There are further unresolved issues surrounding nutrient neutrality. Westmorland and Furness Council's own case officer has identified matters that need to be resolved before nutrient neutrality can be approved, including the purchase of nutrient credits. Penrith Town Council wants those issues dealt with before any planning permission is granted.

The council also questioned the sustainability measures proposed for the development. While Persimmon says the homes will be energy efficient and capable of accommodating future low-carbon technology, councillors argued that solar PV panels and electric vehicle charging points should be included as part of the development rather than simply leaving properties capable of having them installed later.

There was also criticism of the lack of a construction method statement. With a ditch or watercourse forming part of the site, councillors said there needed to be proper measures in place to prevent construction activity causing pollution or damaging the feature.

The council wants the existing trees, hedges and stone walls around the site retained, along with the ditch, and believes the development should also contribute towards improving local footpaths which are expected to see increased use.

All of those individual concerns ultimately fed into the same argument: the Town Council does not believe Persimmon has provided enough good-quality information for the proposal to be properly assessed.

That is why the council's objection is not simply a rejection of another housing development. During the discussion, councillors made clear that they understood why the land was now being considered for housing following Westmorland and Furness Council's decision that the previously proposed school was no longer needed.

The objection is instead aimed squarely at the application that Persimmon has submitted and what councillors believe is its failure to properly deal with some very basic questions.

There was also a wider warning from the Town Council about the cumulative impact of development across Penrith. Councillors remain concerned that roads, schools, NHS services and other infrastructure are already under pressure and that every additional development adds to that strain without necessarily bringing the infrastructure needed to support it.

But after the discussion, it was the description of Persimmon's application that was perhaps the clearest indication of the committee's view.

“About the poorest planning application I've seen.” was the damning assessment from the town council planning committee as it voted to object to the plans for 60 more houses on the edge of Penrith.

The final decision on whether Persimmon Homes gets permission to build the 60 houses will be made by Westmorland and Furness Council.

You can watch the full debate on the application by the town council planning committee here: