New St Annes wind sports centre was built without planning permission due to 'miscommunication', says Fylde Council

Building work is well underway at the new St Annes North Beach Windsports Centre on North Promenade, however, Fylde Council did not acquire planning permission before the development began.

A spokesman for the authority said: “A miscommunication between service areas resulted in work beginning at the site of the Wind Sports Centre without appropriate planning permission. The matter will now be subject to a thorough internal investigation to discern how this came to pass.”

The shock revelation comes after some residents complained about the project after a new application that would allow the completed development to play live music and serve alcohol beyond normal pub hours was submitted.

So far, £300,000 has been spent on the new wind sports centre, exceeding its predicted cost of £200,000.

Natural England, the government's adviser for the natural environment, warned it may object to the build due to its ‘potential significant effects’ on the Ribble Estuary and protected areas, and requested further information in the form of a habitats regulation assessment, which has yet to be submitted by the council.

One unhappy resident said: “They’ve spent well over £300,000, they’ve run over budget tremendously, and yet the rent is going to be £20,000 a year. If you look at the return on investment it is ridiculous. Taxpayers money wasted on a vanity project. Bizarre when the country and so many people and businesses are struggling to make ends meet.”