Blackpool Restaurant Denied Permission for Glazed Extension

Planning authorities have rejected a Blackpool restaurant’s request to retain its glazed extension. The decision cited a conflict with regulations aimed at preserving the distinctive nature of the Promenade. The Eating Inn, located in South Shore, had submitted a revised proposal, anticipating it would satisfy municipal planning officials who had previously denied an earlier plan for the establishment. This retrospective application pertained to a structure erected to allow the business to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic. It stated that enhancements had been implemented in the glazed dining space, such as the construction of a more robust roof. However, Blackpool Council rejected the proposal through the use of delegated powers, thereby bypassing the need for it to be reviewed by the planning committee members. A report detailing the decision indicated that the extension “would project significantly beyond the established building line formed by the rest of the properties in the row”. The report further stated that the property would seem incongruous among adjacent buildings and “also has a detrimental impact on strategic views along the Promenade and seafront”. The report concluded: “It is not considered that changing the materials of the roofing mitigates this impact as a shift from transparent to solid materials would increase visual impact.” Planning officials additionally cautioned that approving the plan could hinder the council’s ability to oppose comparable incremental developments along the seafront in the future. The application, submitted for the restaurant situated between Waterloo Road and Rawcliffe Street, had asserted that the extension “enhances the corporate identity of the business and increases kerb appeal to passing trade, which makes up around 90% of the business’s turnover”.