Holiday Accommodation, Morecambe, Lancashire

The original developers of this property had left it internally gutted and vacant nearly 10 years ago with consent elapsed for flats.  However, the property was worth more in this seaside location as serviced accommodation.

 

A new consent could have taken at least another 6 months and would have required financial contributions toward local environmental protection, although the local Council sometimes refused such proposals citing concern over possible environmental impact.

 

This was a straightforward lawful use application, instead, taking just over 2 months.  A slight twist in that the Council raised the issue of legal ‘abandonment’ – meaning that the initial use as a guest house was completely lost and a full application to reinstate the use would be needed. We worked through the legal tests and any available evidence with officers and the client, to achieve a successful outcome.