Story Homes have revealed plans to massively expand a major housing development.

The Carlisle-based developer has confirmed it is planning to build 666 new homes on the Crindledyke housing estate, on the northern outskirts of the city.

The firm says it will be submitting an outline planning application to Carlisle City Council in “spring 2020”.

Belah and Kingmoor ward city councillor and the council’s deputy leader, Gareth Ellis, said it was “imperative” that a new school was built on the Crindledyke estate if the expansion goes ahead.

“The existing people who live on the Crindledyke estate have felt cheated out of the school they were promised,” Mr Ellis said.

Story Homes’ boss Fred Story revealed in March last year that plans to build a new school at the Crindledyke estate had fallen through, blaming a Department for Education ruling that the site was “unsustainable”.

It had originally been agreed that a school would be built by the developer on the estate once the 200th home had been constructed.

Plans for the new estate, first approved by the city council in 2012, originally gave permission to build up to 850 homes but was revised down in 2017.

Helen Davison, also a Belah and Kingmoor ward councillor, said there have been “a lot of concerns raised” about the pressure put on north Carlisle schools as a result of the Crindledyke development.

“I would want to see a very robust consultation process with the residents on this,” Dr Davison said.

“We need to ensure there are good quality services that come with any expansion at Crindledyke - chief among that is the schools issue.”

A spokesman for Cumbria County Council said it will work in close partnership with the city council, the Department for Education and others to ensure schools in north Carlisle are not overwhelmed by population explosion at Crindledyke.

“We recognise as a whole system the requirement for the provision of sufficient school places in north Carlisle,” the spokesman said.

“We can’t comment further until we understand the details of the revised planning application by Story Homes.”

A spokeswoman for Story Homes said they will be holding a public consultation on February 27 to field feedback from existing Crindledyke residents and others on their expansion plans.

Crindledyke resident of five and a half years, Melanie Beaven, 46, said a new school would be greatly welcome on the estate as a community focal point.

“We haven’t got a community space here, like a hall or anywhere to meet,” she said.

“I am a methodist deacon here, and part of my remit here is to help build a community.

“It’s very difficult if you don’t have any infrastructure. It was planned that the school would have a hall and sports facilities.

“Some people have moved away as a result of the possibility that a school would not be build on the Crindledyke estate.”