Plans for new holiday park near Lancaster scuppered by bats

The proposal to position 19 new static homes at the Crook O'Lune Holiday Park in Quernmore was heard at a planning committee meeting on Monday.

The site is located within the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and is separated from the River Lune by the A683.

The static caravans would have been used for recreation and holiday purposes, sited on concrete bases and located along a central spine access road running through the centre of the site.

Pure Leisure have applied to expand the site twice before, with one previous application refused and another which was approved before being quashed following a legal challenge.

A total of 58 objections to the scheme had been lodged with the council, on issues relating to biodiversity and arboricultural impact, landscape impact, residential, drainage, and highways matters.

Quernmore Parish Council objected to the scheme saying the proposed development would destroy a natural meadow within an 'Ancient Woodland' which should be retained for amenity and wildlife value and there would be a significant impact on local wildlife.

Natural England has also recommended that a buffer of at least 15 metres should be installed between any development and ancient wooded areas, and where the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats such as ancient woodland may arise, development should be refused.

The report concluded that the application does not provide sufficient information regarding four trees that are proposed to be felled, and as such the authority cannot reasonably conclude that harm to bats has been sufficiently avoided or mitigated.