KENDAL residents have voiced concerns over new houses being built next to what they claim is 'toxic' ground.

A planning application submitted for a total of 47 properties on land adjacent to Underbarrow Road has stirred up strong feelings.

Marten Julian, of The Hylands, Brigsteer Road, believes that the planning application is deeply flawed and he is particularly concerned about the site's proximity to an historic landfill.

"I am concerned about this from a humanitarian perspective," he said. "This site is unsuitable for so many reasons."

Mr Julian said that in a geo-environmental site investigation of the land, arsenic and lead were found to be present.

The report states: "The Tier I Human Health Risk Assessment has identified arsenic, lead (Eastern Russell Armer field) and are considered to pose an unacceptable level of risk to human health and are not suitable for a residential end use."

However, a spokesperson for Russell Armer Homes said it was a condition of South Lakeland District Council Environmental Health that any contaminated ground would be appropriately remedied.

A spokesperson said: "Since submitting the planning application Russell Armer Homes and our consultants have undertaken further investigation to determine the extent of the contamination located within part of the application site and have been working with SLDC to establish an appropriate remediation strategy that would also allow the retention of important mature trees in the affected area.

"It is Russell Armer Homes’ intention to submitting this strategy prior to determination."

Having lived in Kendal for the past 18 years, Mr Julian said that he wants to look after the area.

"This is something I genuinely and passionately care about," he said. "I am just somebody who cares for Kendal. I have two grandchildren and I would not want my grandchildren living in one of these houses."

Mr Julian is not the only one to have expressed concerns over the plans.

Giles Archibald, who lives on Greenside, highlighted the lack of affordable housing currently included in the application.

SLDC's affordable housing statement says that 'on sites of nine or more units no less than 35 per cent of the total number of dwellings must be affordable'.

Russell Armer's application outlines eight affordable properties - equating to 17 per cent of the total.

Mr Archibald said that although he was 'not against' building houses in Kendal in general, the lack of affordable housing provision was one of his main concerns.

In response to the points raised, Russell Armer Homes said it was 'committed' to providing as much affordable housing on site as possible.

"At the Underbarrow Road site there are significant infrastructure and abnormal costs involved in bringing the site forward," a spokesperson said. "SLDC's policy is to seek 35 per cent affordable housing; however, there is flexibility within that policy that a smaller number of affordable properties can be accepted on constrained sites to ensure much needed new homes are delivered."

The spokesperson also said that work undertaken by their consultants demonstrated that there was no ground gas or contamination migration from the nearby closed landfill to the application site.