An application for the erection of new staff accommodation and the change of use of existing staff accommodation at a holiday park has been refused by South Lakeland District Council (SLDC).
The scheme at Holgates Caravan Park, north of Silverdale, would have seen the existing accommodation turned into office space.
“At present, there is staff accommodation in the main facilities building on the site,” said a planning statement submitted as part of the application.
“The location of the accommodation, and the proximity to other operations within the facilities building, means there have been issues with amenity for occupiers.
“In addition, due to the growth of the business, the applicant requires additional office space.”
However, in refusing planning permission, Simon Rowley, director of customer and commercial services at SLDC, said the application had ‘failed to demonstrate an essential need for two new dwellings outside the settlement on an area of undeveloped land within the [Arnside and Silverdale] Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)’.
He said the development would ‘fail to conserve and enhance the landscape and natural beauty of the area’ and would ‘erode the character of the AONB’.
“The application fails to provide an assessment of the potential impact of the development on ecology and geology within the site, in particular the area of land covered by a Limestone Pavement Order and County Wildlife Site,” he said.
