PLANS for homes for local people in the Lake District have been approved.

Members of the development control committee for the Lake District National Park Authority approved plans from John Lambert (North West) Ltd for two local occupancy homes on land at Forrester’s Walk in Backbarrow.

Planning documents say the site is currently in a ‘scruffy’ and ‘unkept’ condition which acts as a ‘distinctive landscape detractor’

Plans for two homes on the site were withdrawn in 2013, refused in 2014 and withdrawn again in 2023.

According to planning documents, following the withdrawal of plans in 2023, the house designs and site layout have been changed to reduce the overall scale and improve the siting of the buildings to lessen the visual impact.

Speaking at the planning meeting committee member Richard Outhwaite said: “It’s a suitable site, it’s two local people, they want to build a house and live there, I think it’s an application that we should be supporting.”

Committee member Jim Jackson added: “I think it’s an excellent opportunity. I think out of all the sites today this is the one I’m least worried about building over.”

The proposals received six objections which raised concerns over the impact of the houses on the character of the area and overlooking over neighbouring properties.

One objection said: “We still believe that the construction of 2No. properties shoe-horned upon this narrow parcel of land to be overwhelming and ‘out of character’ for the enjoyment of this area both for immediate residents and visitors alike.”

However, a report by national park planning officers says that although the properties will occupy a ‘prominent’ position, they will be of an ‘appropriate’ design and scale.

Members of the development control committee approved the application on November 6 at Murley Moss.