Shop flat conversion denied to preserve community use

The local authority received more than 40 objections from residents about the plans.

Plans to convert a former shop into flats have been turned down by the council as there are no similar businesses nearby.

The former Moorland Stores and Post Office in Kirkby-in-Furness, Cumbria, had previously sold essential goods and no similar shop existed in a 1,100 yards (1km) radius, the council said.

More than 40 people raised objections to the local authority about the plans.

One wrote: “The absence of a village store makes life very difficult for elderly residents."

Westmorland and Furness Council rejected the proposals from developer Kirkby Platinum to convert the building on School Road into two ground-floor flats.

The plans were rejected in part because the site is still zoned for local community use and even though it is not currently being used as a shop, something similar was still needed by residents, the council noted.

This was particularly due to the "poor access to nearby services, particularly by sustainable transport modes", it said.

The shop has been shut since late 2022.