The site is located to the west of Scotforth, south in Rays Drive, in South Lancaster and east of the railway line. It is equidistant between the city centre (circa 2.8km north of the site) and Galgate village (circa 3km south of the site).

Lancaster City Council granted outline planning consent for this site in April 2021. Located within the South Lancaster Broad Location for Growth, an area that the Council has identified for new residential development, the principle of housing has already been established on this site.

The site is ideally situated off Scotforth Road (A6), close to local amenities in Scotforth, as well as Lancaster, Lancaster University and Galgate.

The Council is responsible for deciding where new homes are built and the site has been granted outline consent. Much of the brownfield land is allocated within the Local Plan and the need for housing was considered to be so great that Green Belt boundaries were realigned. The proposed development was historically used for agricultural purposes and has been identified as a broad location of growth, which will form part of the wider Local Plan for the district. Therefore, this scheme will dissuade further developments on Green Belt land.

Our plans propose a mix of sustainable and thoughtfully-designed housing types to suit the needs of local people. Our current plans look to create 12 two-bed apartments, 24 three- and four-bedroom houses and 54 three- and four-bedroom townhouses, 30% of which will be affordable. Our homes are unique and distinctive, from the architecture to internal fittings and features.

A diverse range of affordable homes will be developed. There is no doubt that our scheme would make a meaningful contribution to the district’s five-year land supply and would provide much-needed market and affordable housing. 30% of the total number of dwellings proposed on the site would be affordable dwellings in compliance with policy DM3 of the DM DPD, subject to viability.

Our proposals for Scotforth Road seek to protect the site’s existing ecology and will find ways to contribute to a Biodiversity Net Gain position. Northstone has commissioned various technical studies into the condition of the site to ensure the proposed development would not disrupt the benefits the site was providing as a natural asset. This includes:

• An arboricultural impact assessment to assess the quality of existing trees on site, the impact of the proposals might have and outline mitigation actions, where appropriate, to minimise potential damage to the trees which are to be retained;
• An ecological appraisal which described and assesses features of ecological value found at the site and provides advice to help minimise any adverse ecological impacts, ensuring the development complies with current nature conservation policy and legislation;
• A Landscape and Ecological Management Plan to safeguard ecological mitigation and enhancement measures in the long term;
• An Ecological Site Appraisal to identify important ecological features and any protected species present at the site will be completed, together with appropriate mitigation measures will be submitted as part of the planning application; and
• Submission of a Construction Environmental Management Plan.

The site is in close proximity to the Burrow Beck Biological Heritage Site, the marginal flood zone habitat and an extensive wildlife area. It will connect the Lancaster Canal to the west of the site and the central drumlin open space through the creation of green infrastructure and wildlife corridors through the site into the wider landscape. This will protect the existing fauna on-site, such as birds, bats and amphibians, whilst also creating better habitats for these species.

The residential development (developable area) of the site is limited to flood zones 1 and 2. Areas of the site that are in flood zone 3 will remain undeveloped and utilised as part of the ecology mitigation and open space.

Northstone is liaising with the Environment Agency and the Lead Local Flood Authority to ensure that our plans will not provide a flood risk on site or elsewhere, and safe for the community.

Northstone has undertaken assessments of acoustic and vibration impacts to minimise adverse impact on the proposed new homes and existing nearby residents.

We will include acoustic fencing along Scotforth Road (A6) to limit noise pollution for neighbouring and future residents.

We have incorporated high-quality acoustic design into our proposals, using a landscape-led approach where possible to complement the surrounding area. Not only will these boundary treatments provide acoustic screening, but it will also provide some visual screening and privacy, too.

The site is not located within any Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), however, we have undertaken an Air Quality Assessment (AQA). The AQA addresses air quality impacts during construction and the operational stages of the proposed development, taking into account our Transport Assessment and Travel Plan.

Our assessments demonstrate that over time, traffic will be reduced, which in turn reduces anticipated emission levels from the development.

Peel L&P will be progressing its outline and detailed plans for a new community in Whinney Carr to the west of Northstone’s Reserved Matters application for Scotforth Road. Being adjacent to this development proposal, Northstone has taken elements of Peel L&P’s scheme into account when evolving our application for Scotforth Road. It is our ambition to ensure that we contribute to a cohesive and sustainable community in this part of South Lancaster.