AN APPEAL against the refusal to grant planning permission for housing off a Kendal road has been dismissed.

The application for 26 dwellings off Natland Mill Beck Lane, submitted by Oakmere Homes, had previously been rejected three times by South Lakeland District Council.

Explaining her decision, planning inspector Victoria Lucas wrote that the development would have been “harmful to the character and appearance” of Natland Mill Beck Lane and would have caused some harm (albeit ‘less than substantial’) to the significance of Natland Mill Beck Farmhouse and Natland Mill Bridge, both Grade II listed.

Ms Lucas pointed out that there had, in fact, been “several” factors in favour of the development.

Among these were “economic benefits, a CIL [Community Infrastructure Levy] contribution and Council Tax income.”

Ms Lucas said: “In terms of environmental benefits the proposal would include the removal of damaging species along the water course [Natland Mill Beck] and the clearance of vegetation from the leat,” adding that “the proposed layout of the scheme; the design, materials and appearance of the dwellings; and the mix of the dwellings” were all “acceptable”.

However, she identified a number of areas where the proposed development would cause “harm”. For example, Ms Lucas wrote: “I have found that the widening of the lane as a consequence of the creation of the three proposed passing places along with the new section of road, in combination with the increased width between the boundary treatments along it, would be harmful to the rural character and appearance of the lane overall.”

She also concluded that the new highway layout would “affect the foreground of both listed buildings [the bridge and the farmhouse] both in terms of views out of them and towards them.” Access provided to the development as well as parts of the development itself would also be viewed “as a visually distracting, urbanising element that would detract from public viewpoints of the listed bridge.”

Ms Lucas said South Lakeland District Council had demonstrated it had a sufficient supply of land for housing “in excess” of the next five years - in keeping with national policy. She concluded: “The adverse impacts that I have identified that would occur as a consequence of the proposal would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits I have identified.”