Cinder Hill Chipping Lane Dolphinholme Lancaster Lancashire LA2 9AQ Data via plota.co.uk

26/00719/PAC - Prior Approval - Commercial Refused

Proposal

Prior approval application for the change of use of 2 agricultural buildings to storage and distribution Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
13 Jul 2026
✓
Consultation
14 Jul 2026
✗
Refused
2 Sept 2026
Appeal
Not lodged

Refused on 2 Sept 2026 · Delegated Decision · Last checked 3 Sept 2026

Site constraints 4

Agricultural land, grade 3b
Not best and most versatile land (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Source: the Predictive Agricultural Land Classification Map (Defra and Natural England, 2025; the Welsh Government's Predictive ALC Map 2 in Wales), a model rather than a site survey. Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s) agrees.
Where development of farmland is needed, policy prefers poorer land over the best and most versatile (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Three sources: Natural England's post-1988 field surveys, which are definitive where they exist; the Defra predictive map for England (2025) and the Welsh Government predictive map, modelled from the soil map with 3a and 3b split; and the 1970s provisional map, which planners and other services still show, coarser and with grade 3 undivided. Where the provisional and predicted grades disagree, treat the predicted grade as the current estimate and expect an application to carry its own survey.
Habitat network: Traditional orchards
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
Radon affected area, class 5
An estimated 10 to 30% of homes reach the radon action level. Indicative for the 1 km square, which takes the highest class found in it; a radon test gives the answer for a building.
From the British Geological Survey and UK Health Security Agency indicative atlas. Under building regulations, as the BRE guide BR 211 (2023) sets out, new buildings and extensions need basic radon protection from class 3 in England and Wales and from class 2 in Scotland, and full protection from class 5. The class at the site itself, from the detailed BGS map, decides which.
UKHSA radon ↗
Also on the record
Priority habitat 9 m away: Traditional orchard.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No listed building at the site

Checked on 6 October 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the British Geological Survey and UK Health Security Agency (radon, contains BGS materials © UKRI) and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

Building

Floor area213 m² (2,293 sq ft)
Energy ratingF (28 out of 100), could reach C
PropertyDetached house, 7 habitable rooms
BuiltBefore 1900
HeatingBoiler and radiators, oil
WallsSandstone or limestone, as built, no insulation (assumed)

From the energy performance certificate lodged in December 2024, the latest held for this property. The building may have changed since. View the certificate

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Important details

Council
Lancaster
Application type
Prior Approval - Commercial
Postcode
LA2 9AQ
Received
13 Jul 2026
Validated
13 Jul 2026
Ward
Ellel Ward
Parish
Ellel
Case officer
Show
Target decision
7 Sept 2026
Decision
Prior Approval Refused
Decision date
2 Sept 2026
Decision level
Delegated Decision
Applicant
Show
Agent
Directions Planning Consultancy Ltd
Freehold owner
Show

How this decision compares

Decided in 51 days from validation, 22 days slower than Lancaster's median of 29 for agricultural works. Refused, as 45% of agricultural works here are.

88%decided within 8 weeks
55%approved
73decided in the last year

Plota live figures for agricultural works decided by Lancaster in the last twelve months, from validation. Lancaster decision record →

Public comments

No public comments yet.

Last counted 3 Sept 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-14957702
Planning Portal ref
PP-14957702
Consultation
14 Jul 2026
Comments by
13 Aug 2026
Site or press notice
15 Jul 2026
Statutory expiry
7 Sept 2026
Env. assessment
No
Lancaster
Planning Authority Score
5/10
Average
#147 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Change of use

Lancaster is faster than most councils at deciding householder applications, ranking #84 out of 296. Householder applications are slightly less likely to be approved here (87%) than the national average (90%).

Faster than most councils
for householder decisions
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Lancaster decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
83%
Overall approval rate
Below avg (87%) #237 of 296
87%
Householder approved
Below avg (90%) #231 of 296
74%
Decided in 8 weeks
Above avg (63%) #84 of 296
38%
Extended time limit
Below avg (41%) #130 of 296
71%
Minor dwellings approved
45 decided (1-9 homes)
63%
Major dwellings approved
16 decided (10+ homes)
63%
Change of use approved
48 decided
717
Total decisions
122 refused in the year to March 2026

Energy performance: Energy performance certificates from the Energy Performance of Buildings Register, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright 2026.

Freehold owner: Information produced by HM Land Registry. © Crown copyright 2026. Source: HM Land Registry, UK and overseas companies that own property in England and Wales, September 2026 release.