The Samling, Ambleside Road, WINDERMERE, LA23 1LR

Retrospective Planning Application for change of use of field to ancillary use for adjacent hotel, installation of Pitch & Putt tees and greens, enlargement of an existing pond with associated landscaping works

Authority: Lake District
Appeal type: enforcement · Enforcement Notice
Procedure: Inquiry
Development: leisure-sport · Change of use
Inspector: Franks Z

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the proposal on: i) the character and appearance of the area, the surrounding landscape and to the visual amenity of residents and visitors, including views from the surrounding public rights of way network; and ii) the heritage assets

What decided it

the great weight required to be given to conserving the landscape, scenic beauty and World Heritage Site of the National Park was not outweighed by the limited public benefits of the pitch and putt and tented accommodation development.

the great weight required for conservation of the WHS and National Park landscape outweighed the limited commercial/tourism public benefits of the golf and tent developments, but the pond enlargement caused no such harm and so was permitted.

Plan policies cited: Policy 01, Policy 02, Policy 05, Policy 06, Policy 07

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.