New seaside town homes will offer a countryside location that is still close to the beach

A developer has won a battle to build new homes in part countryside location of Blackpool. The council's planning committee rejected an application by Denmac Holdings in June last year to complete its Birchwood Gardens housing development on the site of the former Baguley’s Garden Centre on Marton Moss.

But an independent planning inspector has overturned the decision following an appeal. It means the scheme to build an additional five bungalows on the site just off Midgeland Road can now go ahead in order to complete the housing estate where residents must be aged over 55.

Twelve bungalows had already been built and residents themselves had backed the developer’s bid to complete the estate, saying they would feel more secure. Town hall planners had said they wanted to wait until the Marton Moss Neighbourhood Plan was in place before giving the go ahead.

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But planning inspector D. Cleary ruled the application would not unduly affect the semi rural nature of Marton Moss and so should be allowed. A report setting out the decision said that part of Midgeland Road “has an urban character and feel” due to more intensive housing development.

While acknowledging The Moss “has a distinctive character which reflects its historic past and its importance as a market gardening area”, the inspector said the rural nature of the appeal site was more apparent from Stockydale Road at the rear. The report adds: “As such, I find the contribution that the site gives to the semi-rural character of Marton Moss to be largely limited to its Stockydale Road aspect.

“The scheme proposes the retention of the mature characteristic rear