Plans to build business units covering up to 100,000 sq ft the side of a major countryside road have been rejected.
Sander Douglas was looking to build the units on land at Causeway Farm, near the village of Balderstone, on the A59 in the Ribble Valley.
Plans submitted to Ribble Valley Borough Council showed four large buildings which could be subdivided into smaller units for any future occupants.
However, council planning bosses have rejected the development at this stage, citing concerns over its countryside location and whether the site is suitable for the development.
A decision notice said: “The proposed development would result in a large-scale commercial development outside of a defined settlement boundary which fails to meet any of the exception criteria allowing development in such locations and would be dependent on the use of private motor vehicles.
“By virtue of its overall scale and footprint, the development would result in the introduction of an incongruous, unsympathetic, and discordant form of development, of an overtly suburban appearance, particularly when viewed from the A59 approaching the site.
“The proposal fails to demonstrate that the proposed site access arrangements are safe and suitable to serve the development.”
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The notice also raised environmental concerns regarding animals already using the site.
The site would have had four large units of differing sizes, crossings for public right of ways, suitable car parking a wildflower meadow, and retained trees and hedgerows around the area.
A design and access statement said: “This outline planning application is for a new employment development with relocated site access.
"The indicative site layout illustrates that up to 100,000 sq ft of industrial development can be achieved on the site.
“The Land at Causeway Farm site is approximately 4.175 hectares. It is located to the south of the A59, approximately 300m to the north-east of the established village of Mellor Brook, 200m to the south-west of Osbaldeston, and approximately 1km to the east of the Samlesbury Enterprise Zone.”
The applicants have six months to appeal the council’s decision if they wish to.
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