WORK is set to start on building an estate of luxury homes.

The former Parkview School site in Barrow - which was the location of a large grass fire on Tuesday night - is to be developed by Robinson New Homes Ltd.

The Lancashire company is to build 55 four and five bedroom detached homes with garages and off street parking on the site off West Avenue.

Barrow Borough Council granted full planning permission for the plan but with a number of discharging conditions, such as ensuring adequate drainage. The company said it has met the conditions.

The location was the site of the former grammar schools, Parkview School and Furness Academy South Site.

Alistair Wilcock, of Robinson New Homes, said the housing development will be known as Parkview.

Mr Wilcock said: "We are due to start imminently. We are starting the building within the next month."

Robinson New Homes Ltd is also developing more than 30 executive detached homes at the former Thorncliffe School site in Thorncliffe Road, Barrow.

The company has show homes available for viewing at Thorncliffe Road, with three to five bedroom homes being offered for sale.

Mr Wilcock said the Parkview houses will be similar in style to the Thorncliffe Road properties.

There were objections about the Parkview homes from West Avenue residents raising concerns about traffic.

Yesterday Robinson News Homes said they were not aware of the fire on Tuesday evening.

Firefighters were called to a large grass fire at the Parkview site at around 10.30pm. They used wildfire equipment to put it out.

Cumbria police said the fire was not believed to be malicious.

Members of the public believed the fire was at the neighbouring Furness Academy site. The academy said the fire did not affect the school, but there were phone calls to ask if the fire had been at the academy.

There was a blaze at the Parkview site in September 2014.