A VILLAGE has been left 'bitterly disappointed' after a developer removed affordable housing plans from a proposed new estate.

Construction company Applethwaite had said it would include lower priced homes as part of the development at Jack Hill, Allithwaite.

But it has now applied to withdraw that part of the scheme - sparking outrage among local residents.

Mary Wilson, a councillor for the area on South Lakeland District Council, said: "The village is bitterly disappointed. The whole rationale for allocating land is so that affordable homes for local people can be built and Allithwaite has very little social housing for rent.

"I think many people are also perplexed as to why, in what seemed a very straightforward development when compared to more difficult sites in Grange and Kendal, the developer cannot deliver the affordable homes as agreed in their first application."

An application to build homes on land at Jack Hill in the village was first lodged in 2014. It was for 18 properties, six of which were to be affordable and led to a number of objections from nearby residents.

Planners at SLDC voted to reject the plans in March 2015 and an appeal was lodged by Applethwaite which the company won in April 2016, paving the way for work to start.

However an application to vary the scope of the project was received in December 2016, with the affordable homes removed.

Many residents in the area have written to SLDC to object.

Robin Le Mare of The Square, Allithwaite, is just one of many who has spoken out.

He said: "The atrocious, Orwellian doublespeak of affordable housing is bad enough, but to propose to remove the affordable housing provision suggests that the builder is intent on building unaffordable housing, which should never be built in the first place. Who wants empty unaffordable housing anywhere?"

A spokesman for Applethwaite said: "South Lakeland Planning Department received our planning application to vary the requirement for affordable on December 22, 2016.

"The application was made to reflect the scheme's viability and is consistent with National and Local Planning Policy.

The planning application is still awaiting determination.