Three Barrow council sites identified for homes
Last updated at 16:41, Monday, 12 November 2012
THREE new sites have been identified for residential development in Barrow.
The government requires local authorities to set out a plan for land which could be used for housing every five years.
Barrow Borough Council examined 108 sites which could be used and has now identified three which it owns that are suitable for building on.
Two of the sites are situated adjacent to the former Westpoint House care home in Solway Drive, Walney.
Planning permission has already been granted for the home to be converted into 30 apartments.
And the council has also identified land next to the Abbey Meadow nursing home in Flass Lane as another site where houses could be built. The land was one of the potential sites for the new Barrow care home, but Cumbria County Council instead opted for a site on the corner of Risedale Road and Greengate Street.
The borough council’s executive committee will meet on Wednesday to deem the sites suitable for housing. However, there is no resolution at present for them to be released for development.
A report prepared for the committee also reveals that a further 35 private sites have also been identified as suitable in the assessment.
Executive director Phil Huck said: “Many of these sites are not currently allocated for housing and do not benefit from planning permission. However, there is evidence to suggest that they could come forward in the next five years.
“There is no guarantee that such sites will be granted planning permission, or that they will be allocated for housing in the future.”
The strategy requires 80 per cent of proposed development to be located on brownfield land, and deliverable sites should be available now.
The government also states that there should be a realistic prospect that housing will be delivered on the site within five years that development is viable.
The executive committee meeting takes place at Barrow Town Hall at 2pm on Wednesday.
First published at 12:42, Monday, 12 November 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
Does Barrow Borough Council live in fantasy land?
Sites identified for housing in the same list of headlines as a story about how many South Cumbrians are struggling against repossession would you would hope give them a clue about reality but I won't be holding my breath.
Have your say
I don't really understand this shortage of housing malarky.
Barrow is full of houses for sale.
The evening mail is a foot thick with the housing supplement on a Wednesday.
Yet we are busy eating up all the green land and then moan about flooding. Its no wonder theres floods when we have turned all the soaks into hard standing.
I also find it remarkable that we are building in places like in between the roose tesco and the railway station platform.
Ok it keeps people in work but it is a bit artificial really.
Why doesn't barrow invest in more leisure related buildings seeing how it looks like we are going to have poor summers.
All my 40 odd years in this town ive failed to see what the master plan is and thats because there isnt one.
Posted by Martin on 14 November 2012 at 15:20