A final decision on plans to build 90 homes next to a busy road in Whitehaven has been deferred so councillors can visit the site.

An application to build the houses on land at Harras Dyke Farm at Harras Moor was put before Copeland Council’s planning panel yesterday.

But members voted in favour of having a site visit before making their decision after hearing concerns from objectors to the scheme.

It comes two weeks after plans for 370 houses at Harras Moor were refused by members when they went against their own officers’ advice for a second time.

An original application for 110 houses at the Harras Dyke site was given outline planning permission in 2017 but full planning permission for a reduced number of houses is now being sought by the applicant, Site Evolution Limited.

Speaking at the meeting, Michael Gracey, who lives at Harras Road, said: “There is a five-year difference between the original planning application in 2017 and this reserved matters application in 2022.

“The traffic statement presented in 2017 was conducted in 2015 and is now out of date. Traffic issues today are totally different, with more Sellafield workers and others relocating into the town centre.”

Ken Heddle, who lives at Burton High Close, said: “Harras Moor has been a victim of excessive visitation by the motoring community. Numerous rat runs have developed over time as commuters endeavour to identify the quickest route from A to B.

“I fear for the safety of all road users. The additional demands this development will place on Harras Road and the surrounding areas cannot be ignored. Harras Road is already reaching saturation point.”

Joseph Ghayouba, who represents Whitehaven Central on Copeland Council, told the meeting that there was a provision for a Whitehaven relief road in the council’s local plan draft publication, with the proposed route going right through the development.

He said: “This planning application was approved five years ago and a lot has changed since then. When this local plan comes out, it will change the impacts that this development will have considerably, in its current form.”

Simon Blacker, agent for the developer, said: “The development is completely acceptable to the county council in terms of highways.

“The development includes widening the road to 6m along the frontage to improve Harras Road. A pedestrian crossing is also included in the development and a new footpath that will ensure children walking to school will have a safer route.”

He added that there would be no cumulative impact after the plans for 370 houses put forward by Homes England had now been refused.

The scheme includes a mix of two to five-bedroom homes. Entry to the site would be via Harras Road and a new footpath would be connected to Red Lonning.

The original plans had been submitted as two separate applications as they included five self-build plots but this is no longer the case and the site is now one complete development.

READ MORE: Plans for 370 houses at Harras Moor in Whitehaven refused for a second time