A plan to build up to 160 homes between Kendal Parks and the railway tracks near Oxenholme Railway Station is due to reach a key decision next week.

Westmorland and Furness Council’s strategic planning committee will discuss the outline proposal on Thursday, September 17. The application, submitted by Alan Bell, was first lodged in 2022 and has been recommended for approval, subject to an agreement that 35 per cent of the homes are affordable.

Why officers support the proposal

A report to councillors says the development complies with local and national housing policy and would be built on land already allocated for housing. The site is currently a mixture of grazing land and part of the Kendal Golf Driving Range.

Planning officers have also concluded that access to the proposed development is acceptable in principle. If permission is granted, the scheme would include financial contributions towards transport and cycling improvements.

  • £96,000 towards transport improvements and a pedestrian crossing at the junction of Burton Road, Oxenholme Road and Heron Hill.
  • A further £160,000 to improve cycle infrastructure between Oxenholme Railway Station and Kendal town centre.

Objections from the town council and residents

The recommendation follows objections from the local community and Kendal Town Council, which advised refusal in November 2023. The town council questioned the number of homes, asking for 20 fewer properties and more green areas.

It also warned that the development could overlook homes on Howe Bank Close. Councillors said entrances to the site could create bottlenecks and increase traffic through Kendal Parks, where parking was already described as a problem.

Sport England also objected because the proposal would mean the loss of a sporting facility at the golf driving range.

Neighbours submitted 88 representations. Of those, 78 were objections and 10 were comments. Issues raised included traffic congestion, insufficient existing infrastructure to support the estate and the loss of farmland.

Residents also expressed fears that Oxenholme and Kendal could merge into one another, alongside concerns about reduced light for nearby homes.

What happens next

The strategic planning committee will consider the outline application at its meeting on September 17. A decision to approve the scheme would be subject to the affordable-housing agreement and the proposed contributions towards transport, a new pedestrian crossing and the cycle route linking Oxenholme station with Kendal town centre.