A controversial planning application to build 49 houses on the edge of Clifton, which has received over 70 objections since it was first submitted in 2021, was due to be recommended for approval next week at a Westmorland and Furness Council planning meeting. However, it has now been pulled from the meeting agenda by council planning officers following challenges to the recommendation raised by a member of Clifton Community Council.
The outline application by Lowther Estates Ltd for 49 houses on agricultural land off Valley Road, at the southern edge of Clifton, has prompted public meetings and objections from more than 70 residents. Some residents have warned of increased traffic on the A6 and through the village, raising concerns about road safety, particularly at the proposed new junction for the development.
The planning statement submitted in 2021, when the application was first lodged with the former Eden District Council, linked the proposal as an enabling development. It was intended to help fund the conversion of buildings at Yanwath Hall, also owned by Lowther Estate. The Clifton development would deliver 49 houses, with funds raised contributing towards the Yanwath Hall project.
The agent for Lowther Estate Ltd acknowledged in the planning statement that the Clifton application did not meet “infill” or “rounding off” requirements set out in the Local Plan. However, it argued that national planning policy allows for departures from the Local Plan where the benefits of a development—such as enabling the conservation of listed buildings at Yanwath Hall—outweigh the harm.
Almost five years after the original submission, the applicant has now separated the Clifton Valley Road development from the Yanwath Hall scheme, making it a standalone housing application rather than an enabling development.
Planning officers had recommended approval despite the proposal not conforming to the adopted Eden Local Plan, stating that the plan is now considered out of date. The committee report also noted that, following changes to the National Planning Policy Framework and increased housing targets for Westmorland and Furness Council, the authority cannot currently demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.
After the agenda for the Eden Area Planning Committee meeting on Wednesday 6 May was published, including the officer recommendation for approval, Clifton Community Council raised concerns about the reasoning behind the recommendation. It has been argued that approving the application could undermine the Local Plan and potentially open the door to further development across Eden.
Westmorland and Furness Council confirmed on Tuesday that, following discussions and the issues raised, senior planning management had agreed to remove the application from the agenda and carry out a new consultation.
Clifton Community Council Chair, Cllr Davies, said he had raised the matter with the government’s Planning Inspectorate and requested that the application be considered for call-in by the Secretary of State, due to it being recommended for approval despite conflicting with the Local Plan. The council was notified of this request earlier in the week, before the application was withdrawn from the agenda.
Westmorland and Furness Council has been approached for comment on the situation and its wider implications, particularly as the Eden Local Plan has been described by planning officers as outdated. A new Local Plan and land allocations for Westmorland and Furness are not expected to be completed and adopted until 2029.
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