Planning battle between Sefton Council and a kids play area
A colourful Formby shopfront has sparked a planning battle lasting more than a year. Now, a final decision has been made.
The doors at the centre of the rowImage: Hello Formby
A planning battle between Sefton Council and a Formby children's play centre over its colourful branded entrance has finally come to an end, after a Planning Inspector dismissed an appeal to keep the doors.
Jungle Play, based at 9 Green Lane, replaced the former timber entrance to the premises with powder-coated steel doors and installed new shopfront signage. According to Sefton Council's planning portal, the work started on 15 December 2024 and was completed by 5 January 2025, before a retrospective planning application was submitted in March 2025 seeking permission to retain the changes.
Sefton Council refused the application and the decision was subsequently appealed to the Planning Inspectorate. An Inspector visited the site on 24 August 2026, with a final decision issued on 7 September dismissing the appeal.
At the centre of the disagreement is the Embassy Building, which sits on the corner of Green Lane and Piercefield Road within the Green Lane Conservation Area. Interestingly, the appeal decision reveals a little more about its history, describing it as a large mid-20th century leisure building which is understood to have originally been built as a roller-skating rink.
How the building used to lookImage: Hello Formby
The Inspector said the building's architectural interest comes principally from its Art Deco upper-floor façade and window detailing and concluded that it should be considered a non-designated heritage asset. It is also identified as a "primary focal building" within the Green Lane Conservation Area.
While the shops on the ground floor have changed considerably over the years, the Inspector found that glazing has been a characteristic feature of the building's shopfronts since at least the 1930s. Jungle Play's previous frontage included glazed doors and a glazed top light, while the replacement steel doors and surrounding panels are largely solid.
As part of the appeal, Jungle Play put forward images of neighbouring properties with metal roller shutters and various other modern shopfront designs. These representations did not change the Inspector's view, with the decision pointing in particular to the largely glazed Spar frontage at the other end of the Embassy Building and the glazed shopfronts across the roundabout.
Neighbouring shops to Jungle PlayImage: Hello Formby
Jungle Play also argued that the steel doors were needed for safety and security, but the Inspector said there was little compelling evidence of problems with break-ins, vandalism or anti-social behaviour at the location, or that security could not be achieved with a less harmful design.
While the Inspector recognised that Jungle Play contributes to the continued vitality of Green Lane as a shopping location, this was not considered enough to outweigh the harm identified and the appeal was dismissed.
What do you think about the doors? Were Sefton Council too harsh, or do you agree that they aren't in keeping with the Embassy Building?
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