MAJOR plans have been lodged by a housing developer to build more than 100 new homes in Kendal.

Story Homes has submitted a planning application to construct 108 new homes in phase four of the Brigsteer Rise housing development.

The proposed development will consist of 37 affordable homes which will be a mix of one, two and three-bedroom homes.

The open market homes will consist of eight two-bedroom homes, 17 three-bedroom homes, 30 four-bedroom homes, and 16 five-bedroom homes.

The developer says there is growing demand for more bedrooms in properties due to people working from home.

Planning documents state: “Story Homes has seen an increase in demand from purchasers for an additional number of bedrooms to accommodate home working and studying, which markedly increased following the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It is not uncommon for households to have two adults based at home for the majority of the working week requiring two separate workspaces. Story Homes has met with prospective buyers who also have adult children living in the family home who study and/or work from home putting more pressure on household space. This is driving a requirement for homes with a greater number of bedrooms.”

If approved across the development, there will be 220 homes.

A planning application to build 24 homes in phase three was given the green light in September and previous plans to build 88 dwellings in phases one and two of the housing allocation were approved in January 2022.

According to planning documents the main access for vehicles into the proposed development will be via Brigsteer Road to the north and through Brigsteer Rise. An additional access is proposed via Cedar Grove to the east with footpaths to either side of the carriageway.

Planning documents state: “The promotion of sustainable travel options from an early stage provides a cost-effective mechanism by which developers can minimise the level of car based trips generated by a development, which in turn reduces the impact a development has on local traffic levels, air quality and road safety.”

The proposals involve a loss of trees and hedgerows  to facilitate the development, which will lead to a decrease of 40.84 per cent in the number of habitat units on the site.

The planning statement says: “While there is a net loss in area habitat units, this is to be expected for a residential land allocation on a greenfield site with numerous other planning policy objectives to achieve.

“However, the proposed development will introduce net gains through the landscape design which has biodiversity net gain as a key objective. A range of grassland, wetland planting, wildflower meadows and hedgerow together with significant tree planting seeks to mitigate the loss of existing habitats and will deliver a net gain in linear hedgerow units.”

The plans are under consultation until Sunday January 14.