Pressure mounts for rethink on controversial South Lancaster homes and roads plan

Pressure is mounting for a rethink on plans to build thousands of new homes and change the road layouts south of Lancaster.

Residents were at Morecambe Town Hall on Wednesday to protest against the planned South Lancaster development - an issue which continues to divide city councillors.

The plan could see at least 3,500 new homes built south of Lancaster - with a figure of up to 9,185 having also been quoted - and new roads including a remodelling of Junction 33 of the M6.

Accusations and questions flew around the town hall between councillors, after residents spoke out against the project which they worry could see a 'new town' built on countryside between Galgate, Lancaster and Conder Green.

Prior to Wednesday's Lancaster City Council meeting, a number of people protested against the scheme on the steps of the town hall.

AUDIO: Listen to Emily Heath explaining why she is against the current scheme

Emily Heath told Beyond Radio: "We are still very worried about the plan.

"A lot has changed and we think it is making the whole scheme much more financially risky and could end up leaving us with a massive debt that council taxpayers will end up paying.

"A certain amount of new housing is going to be needed over the next few years, but the scale of this proposal is out of all proportion to what is needed."

Then when the meeting began, Charles Ainger, a civil engineer of 50 years' experience, spoke to councillors and asked for a re-think on the scheme.

"The South Lancs road and housing scheme has now become an example of exactly how not to do it; it is simply unfit for the 21st century," said Mr Ainger.

"Everything about it is now wrong: the number of homes is wrong. Even your Local Plan’s 3,500 target is no longer likely to be needed. Let alone the ‘out of thin air’ 9185 homes needed to pay for the J33 scheme - which developers will never build.

"The homes’ location, west of the West Coast Main Line, is wrong. Its requirement for an underpass under the railway makes it the most expensive location to serve with infrastructure of any area in the Local Plan, and most subject to delays – so it should be absolutely the last location to actually develop.

"The traffic predictions are wrong: they are six years out of date; and ignore the accepted need for a ‘modal shift’ in transport policy. We can no longer build communities dependent on the private car, as this one will be.

"The scheme’s high carbon emissions are wrong: it is unacceptable to declare a climate emergency and then spend a quarter of your carbon budget for this century on one, wrong, scheme.

"The scheme’s biodiversity, ecology and rivers impact is wrong.

"The cost estimates and funding are wrong. If you go ahead without major re-planning, this scheme will be a road to nowhere, and a financial and reputation disaster. 

"It is not too late to re-think and re-plan the scheme; and it is no disgrace, or failure, to change it, in the light of the totally changed circumstances since it was first conceived."

In response to Mr Ainger, Councillor Gina Dowding, Lancaster City Council cabinet member for planning, said: "Many communities across our district share those concerns, and indeed a number of councillors.

"It is public knowledge that project was not supported unanimously.

"I for one, was not, at the time, supporting the project. Mr Ainger is correct in that many issues have changed.

"Some issues are beyond the local authority's control, including the inflationary pressures that we are all currently experiencing. 

"These will inevitably adversely affect the costs and delivery models of any development project.

"All local authorities constantly review their development proposals and I want to give assurance that the city council is doing the same."

Councillor Dowding also said the 9,185 figure came from the business case by Lancashire County Council, who are in charge of the transport aspects of the project, as the city council's Local Plan quotes a figure of at least 3,500 homes.

"It's slightly premature to say that current housing targets won't be needed," she said.

"This district still has a need for new homes, particularly affordable housing."

The South Lancaster scheme then came up again later in the meeting, as councillors put questions to deputy council leader Councillor Kevin Frea (pictured), who was standing in for Councillor Caroline Jackson, council leader, due to illness.

Councillor Andrew Gardiner, Conservative, asked: "this chamber voted in favour of the South Lancaster plan so please can you give us a report on where we are up to with everything? I have residents that are concerned with other developments being put in other parts of the district."

Councillor Frea, from the Green group, replied: "We are faced with reality, including escalating costs of building construction of least 20 per cent. (The county council) are in charge of this. County are looking at how those construction costs are going to be met. The money has got to come from somewhere. There are no decisions as far as I'm aware."

Councillor Gardiner then asked: "So what do I tell my residents who are concerned about planned (housing) developments in their areas, which are going to amalgamate Heysham into Morecambe, Bolton-le-Slyne into Morecambe, when this plan would have stopped those houses being built?"

Councillor Frea said: "There's absolutely nothing the city council is doing that is holding up the process. (Government department) Homes England will want to know if the project can still be delivered in the current circumstances."

Councillor Erica Lewis, from Labour (pictured below), then said: "The advice I have is that the city council is absolutely doing things to ensure that this project does not go forward and I always suspected that this would be the outcome."

Councillor Frea said: "I can tell this chamber now that at no time since that democratic decision been made have any cabinet members undermined the democratic decision of this chamber, and have done what they are supposed to do, in moving it forward. What has happened, is circumstances have changed. Things have to be re-looked at."

Earlier in the week, Lancaster Civic Vision, an independent group which champions the heritage of the Lancaster and Morecambe district, said they believed "progress on transport improvements in the city has been paused as a result of a disagreement between the city and county councils".

They also said they were "disappointed at the lack of a clearer and more specific commitment to the provision of social housing" within the South Lancaster plan.

They also called for a "much more ambitious and radical set of measures to improve public transport, cycling, and walking".

A spokesperson for Lancaster City Council said: “Both councils continue to work together closely behind the scenes on proposals for South Lancaster and progress is being made on a variety issues, including those related to transport and associated infrastructure.”

County Councillor Aidy Riggott, cabinet member for economic development at Lancashire County Council said: "We are continuing to work closely with Lancaster City Council to develop detailed proposals for transport improvements to benefit people in South Lancaster and across the city centre.

"These plans aim to help people to get around and provide more travel choices, as part of work to create a new link road to junction 33 of the M6 and open up access to the proposed Bailrigg Garden Village.

"We are not able to go into more detail about the ongoing work at this stage. We intend to submit a planning application for these improvements in 2023.  Before we do, we will consult with local people to ask for their views to help with finalising our proposals."

THE HISTORY OF THE SOUTH LANCASTER GROWTH CATALYST SCHEME

The controversy over new housing and road building south of Lancaster has been going on for several years.

In 2017, residents protested against a planned 'Bailrigg Garden Village' which proposed between 3,000 and 5,000 new homes.

In 2019 Lancashire County Council put in a bid for cash from the government's Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), supported by the city council.

Then in 2020, the city council adopted its 'Local Plan' for housing development, which identified several possible areas for new homes in the Lancaster and Morecambe district, including at least 3,500 in South Lancaster.

A reconfiguration of the M6 Junction 33, a major road building scheme to connect the M6 and A6 to the new housing area,  and create an underpass under the West Coast Mainline, was agreed by the county council in 2021.

In August 2021, Lancaster City Council agreed to support an offer of £140,000 from the Government HIF and enter into a partnership with the county to deliver the project, although councillors were divided in the vote.