Proposals for 160 new houses in Thornton's Bourne ward deferred by Wyre planners

Developer Eccleston Holmes had applied for full planning permission to build a new estate of houses on land north of Bourne Way.

The project is one of several housing schemes in the Bourne area which have either been agreed for are still up for consideration, and should all the projects go ahead it will mean more than 1,000 new homes will be built in the area.

The Eccleston Homes project attracted more than 233 objections from residents in the area, raising concerns over flooding, road safety and fears that the new houses would ‘overlook’ some existing homes.

During the session, statements of objection were read our by four residents, while a representative from the applicants spoke in favour of the scheme.

Members carried out a site visit to Bluebell Close prior to the meeting.

Councillors agreed to defer the application to allow the developer to address some of those issues.

Pheasants Wood ward member, Coun Andrea Kay, who had called in the application to allow it to be considered by the planning committee, proposed the deferment, seconded by Coun Peter Le Marinel.

Later Coun Kay said: “The visit to Bluebell Close really brought home why some of the residents there are concerned about overlooking – some of those new houses would be right over them because of the hill there.

"It was also clear that there are already some groundwater issues there – they are understandably worried about flooding.

"I was also concerned about road safety – given how busy Fleetwood Road is, the traffic plan for this scheme is totally inadequate.

"And there are also concerns about education – where are all the new children going to go to school? There aren’t enough places to accommodate them locally.”

Lancashire County Council has requested that £247,000 be allocated by the developer towards educational amenities as part of a section 106 agreement.

Eccleston Homes says the 20 acre greenfield site has been allocated for the development of houses in the Wyre Local Plan, and will meet the requirement for new homes in the borough.

The application will be looked at again by Wyre’s planning at a future date.