New taxi booking office gets green light to open in Morecambe

A new walk-in taxi booking office has been given the thumbs up to open in Morecambe town centre.

Eden Taxis is now open at 18 Queen Street in the town, said Andrew Rhodes from the firm.

This comes after Lancaster City Council approved planning permission for a change of use on the former shop unit on Friday.

Eden Private Hire is based at Brunel House, 9 Penrod Way in Heysham.

The company was established in June 2023 and is run by directors Mark Hepworth and Andrew Rhodes.

"Massive news for Eden Taxis," said a post on the company's Facebook page on Friday.

"As of this afternoon - 8th May 2026 - Eden Taxis has officially been granted FULL planning permission to open our brand new taxi office right in the heart of busy Queen Street, Morecambe.

"This has been an absolute mammoth task from start to finish, with plenty of so-called local 'taxi experts' saying it would never happen…

"This is another huge milestone for Eden as we continue investing into the local area, creating jobs, expanding our services and pushing the company to the next level.

"A massive thank you goes to JWPC Limited for everything throughout this process - true professionals and experts in every sense of planning.

"The future of Eden Taxis is only getting bigger."

A decision notice published on the Lancaster City Council website said Eden's application for change of use from a retail unit to a taxi office had been approved.

It said the taxi office should not be open except for between 9am and 1am Monday to Sunday "in the interests of residential amenity".

Andrew Rhodes and Mark Hepworth from Eden Taxis

A covering letter provided with the application said: "The office will operate similar to other taxi hire businesses nearby and within the district.

"The office will be used to take calls and walk-in bookings. Vehicles will then be called to the office to collect the booking and then onward to their destination.

"There is on street parking available along Queen Street should it be required.

"Otherwise, vehicles/taxis will wait in allocated bays or in designated roadside locations such as those provided in the surrounding area, along Marine Road and so on.

"Overall, it is anticipated that the proposal will be entirely acceptable from a highway safety perspective.

"The property is vacant and has been for a significant period of time. Ultimately its future, its occupation and continued use by a local business can only add to the vitality of the street to the benefit of the wider area.

"The proposal will bring back into use a long-vacant building, offering several social and economic benefits."