NEARLY 30 new homes could be built on the site of a former garden centre.

Leck Construction Ltd has applied to Westmorland and Furness Council for planning permission to construct 29 homes on the former Avon Garden Centre at Mill Lane in Walney.

Proposals involve the construction of three affordable two-bedroom properties, 22 three-bedroom properties and four four-bedroom houses.

The planning statement says: “The proposed scheme has been designed to assimilate the site with its surroundings to create a high quality sustainable residential development.

“The proposed site layout has been developed to respond directly to the character of the landscape and local context, and to the landscape features within the site.”

“The proposals will deliver a high quality attractive housing development, which has been designed in a manner that this sympathetic to local character”, the planning statement adds.

A previous planning application for outline permission for the construction of three homes on the site was refused in 2011 as the site was not allocated for housing however in the local plan the site is now designated for housing.

The proposed site is located on land to the south of Mill Lane on a disused garden centre opposite the fire station and next to Vickerstown Primary School.

According to planning documents each property on the site will have two car parking spaces and there will be additional space for visitor parking.

Back gardens will be enclosed with timber fence, whilst frontages will generally be open, but arranged to sufficiently create semi private space.

A new pavement will be created along the existing verge way of Mill Lane and a zone of soft landscape planting will be included on the public side of the house walls and garden fences. This will form a ‘green link’ between the adjoining areas of ‘Green Wedge’ categorised land, planning documents add.

The design and access statement concludes: “The development will make a significant contribution towards the demand for mixed market housing within the Borough and will bring an allocated housing site into use. It will provide quality homes in a semi-rural location benefitting from open aspect views.”

This planning application is now under public consultation.