Carlisle calls on housing investors to unlock city’s ‘enormous potential’

Carlisle’s housing stock could be in for a major boost under new proposals for a 10k-home garden village.

The city is poised for a housebuilding boom according to council chiefs, who have this week (November 7) launched a new prospectus showcasing development opportunities in the area.

Carlisle; Help us Build our Growing City, compiled in partnership with national planning consultancy Lichfields, highlights how the recently adopted Carlisle District Local Plan will aim to deliver over 9,500 new homes by 2030.

If achieved, the goal will represent a 20% increase on the city’s current housing stock.

Council Leader Cllr Colin Glover said: “Carlisle is a city where the public and private sector share an ambitious view of the future.

“It is a place which is alive to its potential, more confident than ever and looking to its future. Carlisle offers enormous potential for those who want to be part of a growing city.”

Lichfields senior planner Dominic Smith commented: “To facilitate this growth Carlisle City Council has allocated sites across the district, complementing an attractive pipeline of already consented developments.

“The land supply includes a large number of greenfield ‘ready-to- go’ viable sites across urban and rural locations, with a range of site sizes aiding diversity.”

He added: “Carlisle is also home to a Government-backed Garden Village. St Cuthbert’s is the largest of the 14 Garden Villages in the country and is an exciting and ground breaking project aiming to deliver up to 10k new homes, alongside new employment opportunities.”

Speaking further, Cllr Glover said the council is keen to work with housebuilders and developers to bring sites forward and deliver the city’s “ambitious development targets”.

He continued: “Despite record and increasing housing completions, some 2,000 homes remain on allocated sites which are not yet attached to a developer, as well as several hundred on consented sites.

“There are therefore genuine opportunities for new delivery partners with a number of new developers already enjoying success having established a presence in the District.”

Carlisle Council plans to support its growth ambitions with a number of infrastructure upgrades. The authority has cross-party and strategic partner support for its plans from a number of bodies, including Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership.

Cllr Glover added: “There has never been a better time for developers to gain a foothold in Carlisle.”

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