A WEIGHTY tome setting out the 'overarching vision' for six major building sites in Kendal, Ulverston, Kirkby Lonsdale and Milnthorpe has been adopted by South Lakeland District Council's Cabinet.

The lengthy and detailed development briefs set out the type of housing, green space, landscaping, roads and pathways that the council expects developers to deliver at each plot. The briefs are also designed to guide planners as they consider future planning applications for the sizeable parcels of land at: - Stainbank Green, Kendal - south of Underbarrow Road, Kendal - Kendal Parks, Kendal - north of Kendal Road, Kirkby Lonsdale - south and east of Milnthorpe - and Croftlands, Ulverston.

"This is the most important thing that this council does," said council leader Cllr Peter Thornton.MORE TOP STORIES:

"In 50 years' time nobody is going to remember the make of our parking machines. This is going to influence people's lives for 50 to100 years or even longer so it's essential we get this right."

The decision by SLDC follows months of meetings and public consultation. Cllr James Airey said the documents had captured "most of the community's wishes" but he still had "real worries" about lack of infrastructure and the highways impact of such "huge developments" in Ulverston.

Cllr Janette Jenkinson also told Cabinet: "I'm still concerned about the number of houses in Ulverston - 747 houses is a lot."

However, she praised the "holistic approach" taken to the Croftlands site, with opportunities for wildlife habitats and well-designed, energy-efficient houses. "We don't want to see bland estates with bland houses. We want to see interesting estates with interesting little closes," she said. "I do hope that when people come to see it in the future they see a very well thought-out site, something different from the norm."

Cllr Thornton said if GlaxoSmithKline invested £1 billion in Ulverston, the company would need extra workers. "If we are going to have employment in Ulverston then we are going to need more houses. This plan is about that and it's about putting that capacity in so this growth can happen."

Cllr Sylvia Emmott told Cabinet that the site at Stainbank Green, Kendal, had given the residents of her ward "grave concern", and they would be pleased that their worries about increased traffic had been heard.

She was also "extremely pleased" about the possibility of allotments, homes being built to maximise daylight, water being recycled for gardens and loo flushing, and house design being "tenure blind".

- Oakmere Homes, of Natland, is seeking full planning permission for 84 new homes on fields south of Underbarrow Road, Kendal - one of the locations for which a development brief has just been adopted.

Plans submitted to SLDC state that the properties would have slate roofs, local stone walls and uPVC windows. Some 222 parking spaces are proposed for the 3.8-hectare plot.