Bickerstaffe Service Station, Rainford Road, Bickerstaffe, L39 0HF

Planning appeal 3369518 at Bickerstaffe Service Station, Rainford Road, Bickerstaffe, L39 0HF (West Lancashire District Council) was dismissed on 26 February 2026 by Inspector Lancaster K, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to relevant development plan policies and the provisions of the Framework.

an extension to the existing sales building and associated works

Authority: West Lancashire District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: utilities-energy · Minor retail and services
Inspector: Lancaster K
Postcode: L39 0HF

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to relevant development plan policies and the provisions of the Framework
If the proposal would be inappropriate development, whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify it

What decided it

The proposal fails to demonstrate a demonstrable unmet need for the retail expansion component, and the limited to moderate weight afforded to the various benefits does not clearly outweigh the substantial weight attributed to harm to Green Belt openness and purposes.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Policy GN1
National Planning Policy Framework: Paragraph 104Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 143Paragraph 148Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 156Paragraph 157

How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.

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The decision letter

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4 other decided appeals within two kilometres of this site. In the app every dot opens its decision, and its letter wherever one was published, and you can draw your own site to see what has been decided around it.AllowedDismissedSplitThis decision

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More decisions in West Lancashire District Council

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

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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.