Angry residents have hit out at plans to build nearly 200 new homes on the edge of an industrial estate in Carlisle.

Residents living close to the proposed site, near Durranhill Road, say that an increase in the number of cars could pose a major safety risk.

They are also concerned about the impact of the plans, tabled by Taylor Wimpey, on nearby schools.

If successful, the 198-home development would be built on the edge of the Rosehill Industrial Estate, bordering the M6.

The application has also been submitted while Cumbria County Council assesses the possibility of adding an extra lane on Warwick Road, running from the Rosehill Industrial Estate to Eastern Way, to cut traffic congestion.

Joanne Wilkinson, who lives at Chapel Brow, close to where the homes could be built, said: “If you’ve got 198 homes then you could be looking at about 400 extra cars using the roads, which the access just isn’t suitable for.

“You’ve already got a lot of traffic coming through the Rosehill industrial estate.

“The car park that was there has closed and that’s meant that there have been more cars – that’s the main issue for us.”

Craig Drinkald, another resident who is also opposed to the development, added: “The junction from Montgomery Way onto Durranhill Road is already a problem, given the speed that cars come along at.

“Putting more homes here with another junction is only going to make things worse.

“The other thing is: What will people visiting Carlisle make of the city?

“You can already see the other Taylor Wimpey development when you come up the M6, then as they get closer they’ll see this.

“People will think that Carlisle and Cumbria is just full of housing developments.”

A transport statement written by Tim Speed Consulting for Taylor Wimpey said: “All junctions which have been assessed would continue to operate within capacity in 2022 with the proposed development in place.

“The number of collisions that

occurred in the three year analysis period is not high.

“There is no reason to believe that the change in vehicle movements which would result from the proposed development would adversely affect the road safety record on the highways in the vicinity.”

It added: “The effects on the highway network in this transport assessment would be far from severe”

Joanne said that residents also believe the development is not feasible based on school places.

“That’s something that I think has to be taken into consideration,” she said.

Joanne added that residents have already begun to make their feelings known to Carlisle City Council, which will consider whether to grant planning permission for the development.

“We’ve already started submitting a number of objections,” she said. “We don’t think this is needed.”

In a planning statement, Taylor Wimpey said: “Of the 198 homes, 31 are to be affordable units, including 10 bungalows for social rent, with the remainder in the form of two or three bed dwellings for rent or discounted purchase.”