Early in 2007 plans were approved for what Wyre Borough Council’s planning officer described as an ‘iconic development’ of 34 flats, oops, sorry, apartments, and offices on a site previously the bowling green belonging to the Bourne Arms, at the point where the River Wyre meets Morecambe Bay in Knott End-on-Sea.
Now Wyre BC lives in Poulton, on the other side of the river, so it knew it wouldn’t have to look at this 'iconic development' every day as Knott End residents would, and it therefore had no qualms about approving a plan which nobody at all in Knott End wanted and which the local town council had strongly opposed. It thought, with that superior wisdom which falleth from heaven on all planners and planning committee members on the day they qualify or get elected, that the 'iconic' three or four-storey structure – which would have towered above the historic Bourne Arms next door as well as new bungalows across the road – would look very nice indeed from Fleetwood over the river and persuade coachloads of Glaswegian bargain-hunters to buy another bag of chips while goggling at it, thus bringing in much-needed revenue.
And in due course the bowling green went and building began...
In a couple of months the builders went out of business, having failed to notice in time that their contractual obligation to strengthen and maintain their bit of the sea wall was going to cost them an arm and about fifty-seven legs.
Somebody else (it is rumoured) took over – and went bust in their turn, and nothing has happened now for well over a year.
It’s grey and drizzling this morning, so I thought I’d just stroll round and see if this 'iconic development' is still there.
Unfortunately it is.
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