A council looks set to move closer to its target of providing 1,000 homes for rent in South Lakeland after 28 new affordable were approved.

Plans to build new affordable homes to buy and rent north of Boon Town in Burton-in-Kendal, were submitted to South Lakeland District Council planners and have now been approved.

The decision notice said: "South Lakeland District Council as district planning authority hereby permit the development described in your application and on the plans and drawings attached thereto, received on May7, 2019, subject to due compliance with the conditions specified hereunder."

Approval was subject to conditions including that drainage and surface water issues will be taken into account, along with sympathetic landscaping and that the development must start within the next three years.

Applicant South Lakes Housing plans to build two-storey semi-detached dwellings, detached bungalows and two blocks of maisonettes.

The area was highlighted for residential development in the council's Local Plan.

A council report prepared on the plans said that the site is not in a flood zone, but the run-off from the agricultural field had been identified as a contributory factor in the flooding on Main Street which occurred post-Storm Desmond in 2015.

There were no objections from Burton-in-Kendal parish council, although it did request a restriction for site access, working hours and contractor parking be secured.

The parish council added: “The existing children’s playground should be made safe and remain open throughout.

“We seek an assurance that the drainage system is surveyed and be adequately upgraded to cope with the properties.

“But we still have some concern over the junction of Boon Town with the A6070, Main Street.”

Cumbria County Council's highways department recommended approval, but Natural England stressed a need to be mindful of biodiversity as part of the building process.

A district council report on the application added: “All the houses are proposed as affordable with a mix of 12 affordable rented in perpetuity, which helps meet the council’s housing target of 1,000 homes to rent, and 16 shared ownership homes.

"This is broadly in line with our guidance that there should be a 50/50 split.”

The Burton Swift Study Group recommended that 'two swift boxes in each dwelling should be provided, on north west and east facing elevations, thereby delivering biodiversity net-gain through the Swift programme.'

There were two objections received from neighbours on the grounds of increased traffic flow, school places, spaces being available on local bus routes and on and off-street parking numbers to be clarified.