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Dismissed13 May 20263357327

Sowclough Farm , Sowclough Road, Stacksteads, Bacup, Lancashire, OL13 8LB

Planning appeal 3357327 at Sowclough Farm , Sowclough Road, Stacksteads, Bacup, Lancashire, OL13 8LB (Rossendale Borough Council) was dismissed on 13 May 2026 by Inspector Pleasant L, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the Council's decision to refuse to grant a Certificate of Lawful Use or Development was well founded, turning on whether the works that have been carried out constitute a commencement of development.

described as: material operations relating to the agricultural building under application 2020/0206 have begun prior to the expiration date of that application, giving rise to a lawful material start to the approved development

Authority
Rossendale Borough Council
Appeal type
ldc · Lawful Development Certificate
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
agricultural · Minor general industry/storage/warehousing
Inspector
Pleasant L
Postcode
OL13 8LB

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • Whether the Council's decision to refuse to grant a Certificate of Lawful Use or Development was well founded, turning on whether the works that have been carried out constitute a commencement of development

What decided it

The appellant's evidence was not sufficiently precise and unambiguous to establish on the balance of probability that the material operations carried out were comprised in the development of the agricultural building rather than serving other purposes.

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More decisions in Rossendale

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026

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  5. Notice varied and upheld10 June 20243319494
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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

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