Ace of Hearts Garage, Warrington Road, St Helens, WA8 3XN

the change of use to sui generis hand car wash facility to include retention of structures

Authority: St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: leisure-sport · Change of use
Inspector: Billings C

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the appeal scheme is inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and any relevant development plan policies
the effect of the development on the openness of the Green Belt
the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the surrounding area
whether harm by reason of inappropriateness and any other harm, are clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the development

What decided it

The substantial harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness and loss of openness, combined with adverse effects on character and appearance, is not clearly outweighed by the economic benefits claimed, and very special circumstances have not been demonstrated.

Framework references: 142, 154, 155, 85, 88, 89

Plan policies cited: Policy LPA01, Policy LPD06, Policy LPD01

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.