A TOTAL of £510,000 in council funding is set to be used to help demolish a building formerly used as sheltered housing and prepare the site for redevelopment.

The injection of money for the project at Yewbarrow Lodge in Main Street, Grange, was agreed by a meeting of South Lakeland District Council's (SLDC's) cabinet.

The plan for the site is to deliver 17 homes on the land, all of which would be classified as affordable. Yewbarrow owner South Lakes Housing (SLH) is to apply for a grant of £1,105,000 from Homes England to further support the scheme.

A council report produced ahead of Wednesday's meeting said SLDC's estates team agreed with SLH that demolition was the 'most favourable option'.

READ MORE: Car park to be removed after appeal fails

The document referred to 'practical and cost terms' as well as the 'complexity, in terms of levels and layout, of the site'.

William Wood spoke at the cabinet meeting in opposition to the proposal.

He said it would be 'reckless' to assume the planning committee of Westmorland and Furness Council, the unitary authority that is to come into being on Saturday, would approve the housing scheme. 

He suggested SLH could either use its own funds if it wished to demolish Yewbarrow or apply to the new council for funding once planning permission was granted. 

Cabinet member Cllr John Holmes, who served for 10 years as executive director of SLH, said Yewbarrow Lodge had been a 'headache' for the organisation. 

"It was approached at the top of a hill, accessed by a steep road," he said.

"There was a limited amount of car parking.

"It was difficult for older people."

Cllr Holmes said occupancy of Yewbarrow eventually fell to less than 20 per cent and that the site became a 'money pit'.

"The only real solution was to demolish it and redevelop it for affordable housing, which is now being proposed," he said.

Mr Wood also objected to the speed at which a decision was being made – with a full council meeting going on to approve the gift of a grant later that day.

SLDC decided to exempt the decision from being called in for further scrutiny due to its 'urgency'.

READ MORE: Town criers to proclaim new era of local government

The pre-meeting report, authored by Bruce Johnson, SLDC community-led housing officer, said new legislation – the Subsidy Control Act 2022 – together with 'SLH having to redraft one of their supporting documents' had prevented the proposals being heard by cabinet previously.

He added: "SLDC will be dissolved on April 1, 2023, prior to the expiration of the call-in period, and so in all the circumstances it is in the council’s interest for call-in to be waived."

Helen Smith, finance lead specialist at SLDC, told the meeting a 'clawback' position would be included in the awarding of the grant to allow the money to be returned should SLH find itself unable to proceed with the development.