A major new “garden village” that could eventually deliver up to 10,000 homes has moved a step closer to reality after councillors approved the first phase of development near Carlisle.
Outline planning permission has been granted for 180 homes on land near Creighton Rugby Club, known locally as Bob Bell’s Field, marking the first approved housing site within the ambitious St Cuthbert’s Garden Village project.
The new settlement, proposed in 2015, is planned for land south of Carlisle and is expected to include thousands of homes, shops, extensive green spaces, five primary schools and a secondary school once fully completed.
Liberal Democrat councillor Roger Dobson welcomed the decision, describing it as the beginning of a significant new chapter for the area.
“This is the first step in an exciting development for us in Cumberland,” he said. “It’s very important that we get it right and we start as we mean to go on.”
The application was approved by Cumberland Council’s planning committee despite a small number of objections from local residents. Concerns raised included highway safety, flood risks and the potential for overdevelopment, according to the BBC.
However, the developer’s agent told councillors that receiving just four objections was “an unusually low number” for a scheme of this scale.
The approved plans come with several conditions, including a requirement that at least 20% of the homes are affordable. Half of those affordable properties must be available for social or affordable rent, while the remainder will be offered through discounted sale schemes.
Developers will also be required to contribute £10,000 per home towards the wider delivery of St Cuthbert’s Garden Village and make an additional payment towards the purchase of land for allotments.
Vehicle access to the development will be provided via Cumwhinton Road and Garlands Road, alongside the creation of new pedestrian routes.
The project is expected to benefit from the forthcoming Carlisle Southern Link Road, a major infrastructure scheme due to open in June. The new route will connect Junction 42 of the M6 with the A595 and provide improved transport links to Carlisle and future phases of the garden village.
Garden villages are designed as self-contained communities that combine new housing with schools, services, employment opportunities and large areas of green space. Supporters argue the approach can help address housing shortages while creating sustainable communities.
With planning approval now secured for the first 180 homes, St Cuthbert’s Garden Village has taken a significant step towards becoming one of the largest new residential developments in the North of England.