Councillors reject car sales plan at former Heysham pub bowling green

The decision could mean a bowling green has to be reinstated at the Cumberland View in Heysham Road.

Applicant David Standen had applied for part retrospective permission for the change of use of part of the car park/bowling green, as well as a single storey side extension to the existing outbuilding for a sales office/valeting.

This followed Central Car and Van Sales opening a vehicle sales forecourt at the site.

But the firm was told at Monday’s planning committee meeting that the application – submitted after work began at the site – had been refused.

The applicant bought the site in July 2025, and the bowling green had not been in use since January 2022, leaving it severely overgrown with little evidence of its former recreational use.

In addition, the associated clubhouse had been vandalised and damaged following a fire.

The Cumberland View Hotel experienced a prolonged period of economic decline prior to its final closure.

The bowling green and clubhouse were historically operated under a short-term private lease with a local bowling club. This lease was not renewed in late 2021 following acquisition of the site by Thwaites Brewery Group.

The bowling green therefore ceased to operate in January 2022 following a commercial decision by the landowner.

Although the pub reopened in July 2023 following refurbishment, the bowling green was not reinstated and no investment was made to return the land to recreational use.

Despite attempts to revive the business the brewery concluded that a public house was not viable in this location, and it closed in December 2024, with a decision made by the brewery to place it on the market.

The new owner said that the former public house use was not viable and there is no intention or prospect of reusing the building as a pub and reinstating the bowling green.

David Hall, a planning agent speaking on behalf of the applicant, had preciously said it had been demonstrated that the pub is unviable and, therefore, not returning.

Plans were being prepared for an application to convert it to flats and there was, therefore, no prospect of the bowling greens being reinstated.

"Mr Standen has invested heavily in bringing a derelict, vandalised and overgrown site back into productive use and securing three full-time jobs,” Mr Hall added.

Council officers had recommended that permission be refused.

A report published ahead of Monday's meeting said there had been 10 letters supporting the application, and 13 letters objecting.

Those in favour said it would be “regeneration of the site and area, appropriate development on previously developed land, would prevent crime through responsible site management, lead to improved safety for residents and a local boost to economy/businesses”.

But objectors said there had been “a negative change in the character and appearance of the street, the development is dominant and does not reflect the character of the street, mentioned the disturbance/impacts/harm on neighbouring properties (noise, traffic, lighting), the visual intrusion of flags, signage vehicles, the retrospective nature of development, the inappropriate use for the location, the loss of open space/community facility, highways safety concerns/obstructing footpaths/insufficient customer parking/reducing parking for residents, and increased surface water run-off/flood risk”.

The report concluded: "The application has failed to demonstrate that the site cannot be located on a more suitable allocated employment site.

"The application has failed to robustly demonstrate that the open space is clearly surplus to requirements. In the absence of this information, the unjustified loss of this open space results in harm to the health and well-being of the community.”

The committee voted unanimously to refuse planning permission.

This means planning officers will serve an enforcement notice to essentially make it go back to a bowling green.