An appeal has been submitted against a decision to refuse permission for new shops and apartments near a busy city junction.
In February, Preston City Council’s planning committee rejected a planning application for the new development, which would have been built on the site of a building collapse where a former carpet shop once stood at 454-456 Blackpool Road, near Lane Ends,
The committee had been advised by a council officer that the application should be approved but went against that recommendation, concluding the size and scale of the proposed development was too great for the site and would therefore harm residential amenity and the character and appearance of the area.
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Dozens of neighbours had objected to the application, with a common complaint being the size of the proposal. Had it been approved, the development would have included three shops on the ground floor and six apartments above it.
Applicant Sapphire Properties has now submitted an appeal against the decision and the government’s Planning Inspectorate will decide whether it was fair or should be overturned.
In its appeal, the company says the development was reduced in scale following pre-application consultations and that the officer’s report had advised the proposal complied with the local plan.
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