Plans to tear down a disused country pub to make room for a wedding location were rejected.
The proposal would have resulted in the Ring O’Bells pub in Lathom being demolished to make way for the purpose-built venue, but it failed to win the approval of the West Lancashire Planning Committee.
When the application was rejected, the city council argued that the development violated the regulations of the Green Belt and would probably have led to unacceptable noise pollution for the neighbors. They also decided that “the cumulative effect of the building, the formal courtyard and the parking spaces would damage the rural character of the place and would not harmonize with the streetscape”.
Country Barns Ltd. based in Lytham St. Anne wanted to stand behind the plan, which would accommodate up to 150 guests and create 60 new jobs. The pub had been empty for more than four years. The complainant had stated that a marketing campaign with hundreds of inquiries had resulted in only eight visits and only two serious offers, none of which was interested in reopening as a pub or restaurant.
In the filings filed with the application, it was argued that every market for the pub has now disappeared, in part due to its location and layout, as well as changing public habits.
The pub dates from around 1820-1840, at the same time as the formation of the adjacent canal, but is now empty.
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