GRANGE-over-Sands residents breathed a sigh of relief after the council dropped plans to earmark fell land for housing.

South Lakeland Council had designated land north of Grange Fell Road for 36 of the 497 homes planned for the town by 2025.

But the latest allocation strategy excludes the area from its list of sites – a decision campaigner Sarah Wiseman is heralding as a victory.

Mrs Wiseman, of Save Grange Fell Action Group, said: “We’ve been accused of ‘nimbyism’ but anyone who lives here knows that the water just flows off these fells and into our cellars and gardens.

“We didn’t feel SLDC had done its homework and the correct alleviation measures would be put in place.”

She added: “We campaigned a lot for this and I’m just so pleased - it’s a very emotional issue.”

The council’s new plan includes 66 houses at land south of Thornfield Road, 46 at Little Fell Gate Farm, 45 at land north of Carter Road and 28 east of Cardrona Road – and up to 200 at land south of Allithwaite Road towards Kents Bank.

The redevelopment of the Berners Pool site could also include up to 50 houses.

Grange Mayor CounTom Harvey said: “The pleasing thing is that we have been listened to about Grange Fell. However we are still concerned about the big triangle of land by Kents Bank. Every vehicle that has to go past that site has to go past Victoria Hall and that is a pinch point that cannot be dealt with.”

“We still maintain that this plan includes far too many houses. It is an expansion that will be very difficult for the town to cope with without significant infrastructure improvement.”

The neighbouring village of Allithwaite has been allocated 103 houses, with 22 proposed at land south of Green Lane, 10 west of Bracken Edge, 21 north of Jack’s Hill, nine at Bankfield, 11 at Lane Ends and 30 at Barn Hey.

Protected green fields are also suggested to separate the village from Grange to prevent ‘coalescence’.