Car sales and valeting at Cumberland View Hotel Car Park/Bowling Green, Heysham
Summary of planning committee decision
Decided by Lancaster Planning Regulatory Committee on 20 Apr 2026.
What was proposed
The application sought retrospective permission for car sales, a hard surface on the bowling green and an extension for sales and valeting.
“25/01299/FUL Cumberland View Hotel Car Park/Bowling Green, Heysham Road, Heysham, LA3 1DE Heysham North (Pages 75 - 83)”
“Part retrospective application for the change of use of part of car park/bowling green for use for car sales, the laying of hard surface on bowling green and a single storey side extension to existing outbuilding for associated sales office/valeting.”
Officer report
Who spoke
Three people and the ward councillor spoke against the application, while two people and the applicant spoke in favour.
The committee proposal
A motion was proposed and seconded to refuse the application for the reasons given in the committee report.
“It was proposed by Councillor Keith Budden and seconded by Councillor Claire Cozler:”
“That the application be refused for the reasons given in the Committee Report.”
Minutes
The vote
The refusal motion was carried with 15 councillors voting for it, none against and no abstentions.
“Upon being put to the vote, 15 Councillors voted in favour of the proposal with none against and no abstentions, whereupon the Chair declared the proposal to have been carried.”
Minutes
Why permission was refused
The application did not demonstrate suitable employment alternatives, surplus open space or that lower-flood-risk locations were unavailable.
“The application has failed to demonstrate that the site cannot be located on a more suitable allocated employment site. Therefore, the proposal is contrary to policy DM14 of the Development Management Development Plan Document (Climate Emergency Review) and Section 6 of the National Planning Policy Framework.”
“The application has failed to robustly demonstrate that the open space is clearly surplus to requirements. In the absence of this information, the unjustified loss of this open space results in harm to the health and well-being of the community.”
Minutes
Sources
- Lancaster Planning Regulatory Committee minutes, 20 April 2026
- Agenda and papers (council website)
Source: Plota analysis of Lancaster's committee minutes and officer report. Quotations are the council's own words; headings and summaries are Plota's.
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See the API →At the meeting
- Council
- Lancaster
- Date
- Monday 20 April 2026
- Recommendation
- Officers recommended approval
- Committee decided
- Refused, against officer advice
- Vote
- 15 for refusal, 0 against
- Minutes
- The council's minutes
- Meeting
- Agenda and papers (council website)
- Application
- The application (council website)
- All decisions
- Lancaster committee decisions →
Source: Plota analysis of the minutes.
This committee's year
48 decisions in the 12 months to this meeting, 3 against officer advice.
Source: Plota analysis of the committee's minutes.