Wind sports centre and café scheme for seaside town to be discussed

A proposed centre for wind sports along with a café and base for coastal rangers at a seaside town in Lancashire will be discussed by planners this week.The former Fylde International Sand Yacht building and its compound, located to the north of the north beach car park in Lytham St Annes, is currently vacant.However it has been used to support a range of beach related sport activities for a number of years.The site is in the Green Belt between St Annes and Blackpool but is immediately adjacent to the settlement boundary, and so has the properties that surround the north beach car park on Clifton Drive North and Summerfields in relatively close proximity.The development proposed in this application is to expand the range of uses in the building to include a North Beach Wind Sports Centre, a café and a base for the coastal rangers.An extended decking area to the seaward side of the building is proposed with a level access ramp alongside it.Now officers have recommended in a report that the decision on the application be delegated to officers to allow a planning permission to be “expeditiously granted” in the event that the ecological assessments are satisfactorily completed.The report said the works provide for a “physical enhancement of the existing dated building and a broadening of its uses in a way that will complement its existing use”. It said they would provide for “expanded tourism and coastal management support services in a location that is ideally suited to that use”.The document said there are no conflicts with the green belt designation, or with the design or access arrangements of the development.It added there are potential issues with neighbouring amenity should the café use expect to be operational into the evening, but it is considered that these can be controlled through planning condition.Fylde Council’s planning committee will consider the application at a meeting on 22 June.