Last updated 16:26, Thursday, 14 August 2008

AN application to build a stable block on pasture land in Dalton has been thrown out by council planners.

The plan was to build stables and a storage area in a private field off Long Lane but it was decided the access to the site wasn’t good enough.

The issue split Barrow Borough Council’s planning committee when it met on Tuesday. At their July meeting members were “minded to approve” the application but on Tuesday, after a tied vote, chairman Rory McClure used his casting vote to turn the application down.

The applicants, Mr and Mrs Chorlton, wanted to use the stables to house two horses and store hay, feed, riding equipment and field maintenance equipment.

Cumbria Highways department said access to the site is “unacceptable” because of poor visibility. Highways also said, in the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, increased traffic would be “unacceptable in terms of highway safety”.

A report received by members said: “Although the proposed stables would occupy a discrete location within the open countryside, the resulting increase of use in the access on to Long Lane in close proximity to the brow of a hill is considered detrimental to highway safety.”

However Mr and Mrs Chorlton told planners that rather than causing more traffic to visit the site, the new building would reduce the number of vehicles.

They said: “The daily usage of this access by vehicle is currently one to three times daily in order to carry food, riding tack and field maintenance equipment. The daily use is actually increased due to the lack of a storage facility. It’s envisaged that such a facility would decrease the required access to less than one per day.”

Committee member councillor Ken Williams said: “I couldn’t vote in favour of this because our officers have recommended refusal and Highways has said the access is not suitable.”

Councillor Bill Bleasdale, who voted in favour of the plan, said: “All these arguments were argued at the last meeting. What has happened since then? I think we would look a bit foolish if we say one thing one month and one thing another.”

Following the planning meeting Mr and Mrs Chorlton declined to comment but said they may appeal.

A separate application to build an agricultural building on land at nearby Barrow House Farm, Long Lane, was also rejected on the same grounds of unsuitable access. Planning officers also said the building would represent a “sporadic and intrusive form of development in the open countryside”.