A PLANNING application for up to 26 new houses in Kendal received a setback as Kendal Town Council (KTC) recommended its refusal.

Councillors on KTC’s planning committee opposed the application at Natland Mill Beck Lane, near Asda, after hearing a number of concerns from local residents.

Andrew Thomas, of Helme Drive, Kendal, addressed the meeting and raised reservations regarding increased traffic, effects on listed structures, and obstruction to views from the historic canal bridge.

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“I believe this scheme would urbanise and be detrimental to a pleasant, rural area and lane and that there is already sufficient provision of housing land in the land allocation document,” said Mr Thomas.

Cllr Austen Robinson agreed with residents' concerns about the application which would include vehicle and pedestrian access points.

“We have had a lot of buildings on the other sides of Kendal and therefore we should be looking to retain green open space within the town,” said Mr Robinson.

“It (the land) doesn’t appear on local plans and South Lakeland (District Council) spent a lot of time accepting and dismissing areas and this was an area that was looked at and dismissed.

“There is an awful lot of reasons why I would recommend refusal.”

The planning committee unanimously agreed to recommend refusal to the proposal.