A former taxi booking office in Blackburn’s Cathedral Quarter Conservation area can continue to be used as a boxing gym. Owner Hamzah Ahmed had been using the premises at the rear of a property in Darwen Street, Blackburn without permission.
Mr Ahmed entered a backdated planning application, which has now been approved to regularise the use of the building. In November he asked Blackburn with Darwen Council for retrospective approval for the conversion and the insertion of new windows in the front reception area.
An officer’s report recommended approval with two conditions including restricting its operating hours to 9am to 11.30pm Monday to Sunday.
It said: “The application site relates to two ground floor vacant units located on St Peter Street within the town centre of Blackburn. The site is also located within the Cathedral Conservation Area.
“The unit directly adjacent to St Peter Street was formerly used as a taxi booking office with no planning history available for the unit to the rear where the gym is proposed as part of this application. The site being is in a town centre location is surrounded by a number of commercial uses including restaurants, public house, amusement/arcades.
“This application seeks planning permission for the change of use of the vacant units to a boxing gym and a reception area. The floor area subject to the change of use for the boxing gym is considered modest at circa 65 square metres.
“At the time of the case officer’s visit, which included an internal visit, a boxing ring including other gym equipment was noted therefore the application is considered as retrospective. The newly adopted Local Plan states that within the town centres, planning permission will be granted for development which contributes to certain objectives including proposals ‘protecting and enhancing the leisure offer and developing an evening economy’.
“Therefore the proposed change of use fulfils requirements in terms of location/setting. It would also introduce jobs from the premises which would support economic growth.
“Therefore, the principle of the proposal is considered appropriate. The application site is located at the rear of 32 Darwen Street, which is easily viewed from the public vantage points along St. Peters Street.
“Whilst the Conservation Area Appraisal identifies 32 Darwen Street as a positive character building, the application site itself is a later addition which provides neutral contribution to the Conservation Area and appears as a lean-to addition to the rear of 30 Darwen Street.”