Go-ahead given for 94 houses – despite fears
PLANS to build 94 houses on land near Skelmersdale have been approved by West Lancashire Borough Council.
The homes will be a mixture of detached and semi-detached houses and will be built on the land to the rear of Blaguegate Lane in Lathom.
The area was earmarked for 400 houses in the West Lancashire Local Plan and this development will account for almost a quarter of those.
Despite the land being designated for development, residents objected to the proposals, arguing that the houses would create an unfair loss of privacy for the existing houses.
There were also concerns over the additional strain the development would put on roads, with several residents arguing that additional traffic would make the area unsafe.
It was also argued that the land should not be developed section by section, but instead should all be done in one project to help plans for a linear park on the former railway line.
West Lancashire Borough Council had been due to rule on the plans in May but the decision was deferred after the South Lathom Housing Association challenged the findings of an analysis into the impact the development would have on the highway.
This information was then reviewed by an independent consultant.
Bellway Homes, the developer behind the plan, said it would create “a substantial amount of aspirational family housing”.
The firm has been responsible for a number of developments in the North West in recent years, notably at sites in Southport.
It said that the new homes would be designed to fit into the surroundings and will be ideal for families.
A spokesman for Bellway said: “Bellway Homes have a proven track record of providing excellent quality aspirational housing supported by extensive landscaping and a commitment to design quality. This scheme exhibits these core values.
“The development will create a high quality sustainable residential neighbourhood which maintains and enhances the key existing landscape features, integrating the site into the wider area.”