New plans for development on the controversial Woods Harbour site in Maryport have been lodged.

The latest plans submitted to Allerdale Borough Council by a North-East company outlined a vision that would see three houses and seven bungalows built on the seafront site.

Maryport Town Council, which has opposed former plans to develop the land is to hold a special one-item meeting on August 23 to discuss the plans fully.

This was after one councillor, Carni McCarron-Holmes, said there were several new councillors who had not been party to previous discussions and should be able to have their say.

Numerous previous plans for development of the land have been opposed by the town council and residents on the grounds of traffic access problems, flooding issues and over-development.

One plan, an outline planning application for 34 residential properties (apartments) was allowed at appeal in 2007. However, due to the economic climate at the time, the permission was not implemented and has now lapsed.

Outline planning permission was also granted in 2017 for the erection of 34 residential units/town houses on the site.

Allerdale Council’s policy states that developers of housing developments of 10 dwellings or more will be required to make provision for 20 per cent affordable housing. But the current applicants have said this would not be possible on the site.

In planning documents submitted as part of the applications they stated: “Providing any affordable housing on this particular site would make its development economically unviable.

“We have provided a full breakdown of all estimated costs and revenue to prove this point. Unfortunately, in this instance the development cannot provide any affordable housing.”

They concluded: “It has been evidenced that the proposal would provide a sustainable form of development in an accessible location.”

The applicant outlined the advantages of the project saying: “It is clear that the application site is a highly sustainable location for new housing. Given that the site has also recently benefited from a permission for new housing, the principle of housing on this site is more than acceptable. Bringing previously-developed sites back into a viable use is a clear regeneration benefit.”

More at allerdale.gov.uk