A group is pressing ahead with a campaign to convert a former bus shelter into a hub for Forces veterans after Lancaster City Council gave approval to demolish the building.
Morecambe-based Ubique K-9 Frontline CIC has called for the shelter on Central Drive to be saved and become an Armed Forces veterans crisis support and canine wellbeing hub.
Lancaster City Council planning regulatory committee voted 10 to three in favour of prior approval for demolition of the shelter, at a meeting on Tuesday.
Christopher Soden of Ubique K-9 Frontline CIC said they have now registered hoping to speak out about the issue at a full meeting of Lancaster City Council at Morecambe Town Hall on September 23.
Mr Soden launched an online petition at Change.org last month, saying the shelter has "the potential to become an immediate lifeline - a dedicated frontline hub for veteran crisis support alongside a free canine training, public safety handling, and raw nutrition centre".
Afghanistan veteran Mr Soden wants to open a new hub in Morecambe supporting Forces veterans with PTSD by partnering them with rescue dogs.
He said the dogs will act as teachers and partners, taking veterans through an intensive 28-day course focusing on auxiliary aids and medical assistance tasks, while providing a safe sanctuary for the rescue dogs to decompress and a vocational pathway for their futures.
Ubique also want the shelter to be "an 'Eden Ready' botanical gateway featuring a living sedum roof, elevated pollinator bee-gutters, and a 24-hour safety sanctuary for lone night-carers and victims of crime at absolute zero cost to the taxpayer".
The shelter and, right, an AI-generated image of how it could look.
At the meeting held at Morecambe Town Hall, Paul Butcher from Ubique K-9 Frontline CIC spoke against demolition.
Councillor John Hanson proposed that the application to demolish the structure be deferred. But the proposal was not seconded and was then withdrawn.
It was proposed by Councillor Martin Gawith, and seconded by Councillor Hamish Mills that prior approval for demolition is required and is granted.
Upon being put to the vote, 10 councillors voted in favour of the proposal with three against and no abstentions.
The planning application, by Lancaster City Council, described the Central Drive building as "a grey metal clad pyramidal roof with green aluminium clad elevations, steel framed bus station building originally with glazed elements to half of the building".
"But these have been vandalised and removed over the years.
"It had been left empty and susceptible to vandalism and prior approval for demolition was granted in 2017.
"The demolition did not take place and following an application in 2018 the building became an assembly point and recreation building for young people.
"The building has attracted issues in terms of crime and antisocial behavior and is no longer considered a safe space for young to gather."
Read more: Forces veteran launches campaign to stop demolition of former Morecambe bus shelter - Beyond Radio
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