Last updated at 14:02, Thursday, 03 February 2011
Plans for a housing estate to be built next to Cockermouth rugby club are expected to be thrown out next week because they would clutter and over-develop the area.
Maryport firm Rockford Holdings Limited wants to build 28 two and three-storey houses on the club’s car park and tennis courts.
But Allerdale’s development panel is being recommended to refuse them when it meets next Tuesday.
A petition with 177 signatures has been handed to Cockermouth town council and dozens of letters of objection have also been submitted.
However, there have been 11 letters of support for the scheme.
In a report by planners, councillors are being urged to give the scheme the thumbs down as eight of the proposed homes, which would be three-storeys high with a terrace, would be “overbearing, overdeveloped and cluttered”.
One objector, Rob Gorse, from neighbouring estate Strawberry How, said that the proposal should be refused because of the prominence of the planned houses.
“This will affect the privacy of the existing residents because the new houses will overlook them,” he said.
He also said that the planned houses are not in “any way similar to the existing buildings” and the modern looking houses do not complement the old school at Strawberry How, which is a grade II listed building.
The houses would be for sale as well as for rent.
The scheme would see the current tennis courts and rugby club car park relocated closer to the Lorton Road club house and replaced by the 28 houses. There would also be a children’s play area created.
The three tennis courts which are currently on the site are “cracking up”, said the chairman of the town’s tennis club, Chris Lockyer.
First published at 11:41, Thursday, 03 February 2011
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk
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