Planning appeal decision
Caravan, 250 Gravel Lane, Banks, Southport, PR9 8BY
Planning appeal 6011231 at Caravan, 250 Gravel Lane, Banks, Southport, PR9 8BY (West Lancashire District Council) was allowed on 15 September 2026 by Inspector R Gravett, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposed development would be in a suitable location for housing having regards to its access to local services, facilities and public transport, and to the Council's spatial strategy.
Change of use of Barn A to dwelling and Barn B to ancillary garage
- Authority
- West Lancashire District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning
- Procedure
- Written
- Development
- residential
- Inspector
- R Gravett
- Postcode
- PR9 8BY
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposed development would be in a suitable location for housing having regards to its access to local services, facilities and public transport, and to the Council's spatial strategy
What decided it
The benefits of providing homes and making better use of vacant and underutilised agricultural buildings, to which the Framework requires substantial weight, were not substantially outweighed by the harm arising from the location's limited access to local services and facilities.
The harm relating to the suitability of the location for housing given its limited access to local services and facilities, which attracted weight against the proposal and resulted in conflict with the Council's spatial strategy and LP Policies SP1, GN1 and GN3, was not substantially outweighed by the benefits of housing supply and the reuse of vacant and underutilised agricultural buildings, to which substantial weight was given.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy SP1Policy GN3Policy GN1Policy RS1
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.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision


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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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