A BARROW councillor feels the increasing number of residential properties in his ward “will cause a lot traffic problems”.

County and district councillor William McEwan said he has no issue with plans for 10 new homes on a commercial site in Ormsgill but feels continual development in the ward does have its effects.

Outline planning permission has been submitted to the council for the 10 properties.

The area, measuring just under half-an-acre, is boxed in between Schneider Road, Lower Ormsgill Reservoir and the Tally Ho Hotel and is currently occupied by Peter McInnes Motor Body Repairs workshop in two buildings.

“There are a lot of houses being built - we have the 12 homes on the former Cemetery Cottages site on the same road and the 80-home development around the corner just by Wilkie Road," said Cllr McEwan.

“It will all cause a lot of traffic problems and increase pressure for parking as most houses will have at least two cars. But I have not got a problem with the plans, it is better to redevelop a brownfield site rather than on greenfield and we will have to wait for it go to the planning committee.

“I’m not sure where the repair company could move to as there are no other similar sites nearby. There is always room for improvement. We do need more houses but what we really need is affordable social housing and on small developments like this there is no requirement on developers to provide it.”

The plans, which were put forward in February and validated on Tuesday, are now under public consultation until June 23 before the council decides.

It features four semi-detached two-storey three bedroom properties facing the road, each with two car-parking spaces. At the western-side of the site overlooking the reservoir will be six terraced three-storey, two bedroom mews style houses, with seven car-parking spaces.

The site has been used commercially since 1973. Previously it was covered by allotment gardens from the 1930s.

John Knaggs, of Furness Building Plans, has drawn up the outlined plans.

He said: “What we have submitted may be nothing like what the final development will be. The land owner is just exploring the option on whether the council would be open to it being turned into residential."

The current site tenants, Peter McInnes Motor Body Repairs, were approached for comment.