A building firm will have to fork out more than £300,000 if it wants a housing development on the edge of a north Cumbrian village to become a reality.

Planning officers from Allerdale council have recommended that a Story Homes scheme to build 69 houses in Thursby be given the green light – subject to a number of conditions.

One of those is that the developer pays £223,000 towards extending the existing primary school as leaders say the site could not cope with the predicted influx of children, should the new estate be built.

A 7.5-acre plot on land off Matty Lonning, next to the A595, has been earmarked by Story for the development.

However, the final decision lies with the council’s development panel, which will meet in Workington on Tuesday.

If it does get the go-ahead it would be the biggest development in the community since The Paddocks, to the village’s northern edge, in about 2000.

However, the scheme has been met with some opposition from residents who say the development could present a number of issues.

The parish council wrote to Allerdale citing flood risk, noise, effects on the school and the impact on the “visual amenity” as reasons they objected.

Residents also gathered in the parish hall for a public meeting about the plans in March, with many of them citing how the new development could add to the already “dangerous” A595.

There were also concerns raised about the lack of facilities in the village such as a shop, post office and medical centre.

The money used to extend the school would be used on building another classroom as estimates show that another 17 primary school places would be needed, with leaders saying there is only capacity for nine more currently.

A further £71,000 would also be needed to fund transport for secondary school age pupils.

Figures suggest that 12 more would need to be transported from Thursby to Caldew School in Dalston should the estate be built.

In a report prepared by the planning officers, they wrote: “The proposed development represents a large extension to the existing village of Thursby and has generated significant levels of objection, mainly from residents of the village, based upon concerns primarily relating to the scale, noise, its impact upon the landscape, services within the village and the highway network.

“These concerns are acknowledged and have been addressed within the consideration of the application.

“On balance, officers consider that in balancing and weighing up all the considerations, the proposal constitutes a sustainable form of development that would incur limited environmental landscape, highways and infrastructure impacts whilst delivering significant affordable housing in a location where there is an identified need.”

The application has been “called-in” by Thursby’s representative on Allerdale council, Patricia Macdonald.

In a letter she wrote: “There is local concern about the road access to and from the site, particularly road safety concerns, drainage concerns and uncertainty about the capacity of the school to cope with the increased numbers.

“Also the real risk of Matty Lonning – a narrow lane with no pavements – being used by many cars as a shortcut.”