Council recommended to approve affordable homes

Last updated 19:42, Thursday, 08 May 2008

PLANS for affordable housing in Cockermouth are up for approval by Allerdale council next week.

Impact Housing wants to demolish the Market Place depot and build eight terraced houses on the site.

Cockermouth Town Council recommended that the plans should be refused because it felt the area was the last available space for community use in the town and that better sites could be found for affordable homes.

Members also had concerns over car parking.

But Allerdale officers have advised the district council’s development panel to approve the scheme.

Four letters of objection have been received about the scheme. There are concerns about the lack of parking, the impact on Market Place traders if public parking spaces are used by residents on Bitter Beck car park and that the development will not improve the view of All Saints Church and the Town Hall.

Objectors also feel that if plans get the go-ahead, there will be disturbance caused by roadworks after a lengthy disruption caused by works in the town’s Market Place.

But Allerdale officers said the depot was an ugly, modern building which was beyond its useful life and needed to be demolished.

They added that in the town’s masterplan, the depot site was envisaged as being used for civic space, but there was no funding available to do this in the short to medium term.

The officers’ report said: “There is a pressing need for affordable housing to rent in Cockermouth. This scheme would help meet that need.

“There is no reason why residential use should be inappropriate here.

“The removal of the unsympathetic depot building and its replacement with the proposed terrace is considered to have a positive impact on the conservation area.

Councillors will meet on Tuesday to discuss the plans.