Major homes plan for Thornton's Lambs Road given the go ahead

The hybrid application by housebuilder Wainhomes, for a site off Lambs Road and Raikes Road, was approved after the application went before Wyre's planning committee.

A total of 431 homes are earmarked for the site by the developer, with the first phase of 157 already underway

The site is located in Stanah, one of the last remaining semi-rural areas in Thornton, bordered by fields and close to Wyre Estuary Country Park.

But the land has been set aside for housing as part of Wyre's in-depth Masterplan and the application were recommended for approval by the planning officer.

All of the 80 homes approved at the meeting will be affordable, in association with Jigsaw Homes.

The outline consent is for the third and final phase of the plans, consisting of 194 homes, a one-form entry primary school and a 3,000 sq ft convenience store - amenities which will accommodate the extra residents who will come to live there.

The application was opposed via 13 letters of objection from neighbours of the site, raising concerns about traffic safety and drainage issues.

County Councillor John Shedwick spoke at the meeting, seeking assurances over drainage concerns and that the development would not include any new roads bringing traffic onto the more rural end of Raikes Road.

Gareth Salthouse, the agent, spoke in favour of the application.

Coun Shedwick said later: "Assurances that no new roads would come out onto that part of Raikes Road was sacrosanct, as far as I was concerned.

"We needed to ensure that, for road safety reasons and to preserve the remaining rurality of that area.

"Those assurances were given and I was happy about that.

"Apart from assurances over drainage, which were also given, I had no other concerns."

Several members of the committee noted their disappointment with the hybrid nature of the application, including the issue of affordable housing that they highlighted had been allocated only in one phase of the development with very little in other phases of the development.

Of the 80 homes in phase two, 50 are planned as one- or two-bedroom homes, 26 as three-bedroom and four as four-bedroom.