THE brakes have been put on a controversial housing development after councillors refused to grant planning permission.

A 106-home estate had been proposed for south Ulverston on land at the nearby Lund Farm, adjacent to Sir John Barrow Way.

South Lakeland District Council's planning committee rejected the plan on Thursday due to the perceived detrimental impact on the area, style of affordable housing and risk of flooding.

Planning committee member Councillor Jeanette Jenkinson, who also sits on Ulverston Town Council, praised the decision that was made.

She said: "It was a good decision by the planning committee.

"There was one point, the affordable housing (proposed by the developers) was all lumped together. We made a point of saying that we don't want to see that."

Cllr Jenkinson was referring to to the plan to build a block of flats in the development, alongside the traditional two-storey houses.

This plan was criticised at an earlier meeting of Ulverston Town Council, where Councillor Colin Pickthall said it would result in "ghettos" forming.

Commenting on the plan's refusal, Cllr Pickthall said plans to build on the site should be shelved.

He said: "I think it should be scrapped and that piece of land should come out of the development plan."

Planning committee chairwoman, Councillor Mary Wilson, outlined some of the other issues that prompted the refusal.

She said there was a problem with the silhouette of the development obscuring views of the town and there was a desire to wait for the results of an Environment Agency flood survey under way. This survey is mapping out how and why Ulverston floods so regularly, in an attempt to prevent future incidents occurring.

A spokesman for the developer, Oakmere Homes, declined to comment on the refusal.

Read more about housing in Ulverston:

Town councillors reject the idea of a "rural ghetto" housing estate

Work begins to protect hundreds of Ulverston homes from flooding

Read about when plans were first submitted for the area