Closure order on Blackburn takeaway

A Blackburn takeaway has been closed after breaching planning rules.

A Temporary Stop Notice has been served on a business in Blackburn which is operating as a takeaway despite having no planning permission to do so.

16^th Street on Shear Brow, Blackburn, had applied to Blackburn with Darwen Council in 2017 to open as a sandwich or coffee shop but has been operating as a hot food takeaway which requires a different planning permission.

A Temporary Stop Notice has been served the owners and the closure will be effective from Thursday, December 31^st. The notice will be reviewed in 28 days.

There had been complaints and community concerns regarding anti-social activity around the takeaway, with the police attending the premises several times, at a time when the Borough is subject to strict and increasing national COVID restrictions.

There were also concerns over increased rubbish in the area, parking issues, uncontrolled opening hours, and a lack of compliance with national Covid restrictions.

The primary planning reasons for the closure are an unauthorised A5 planning use, operating outside of any enforceable conditions, including waste storage and opening hours. This activity is also in conflict with the Council’s Local Plan and health policies in this location.

The Council’s Planning and Highways Committee gave the green light to enforcement at its meeting on the 17th December, to stop the unauthorised takeaway use at the premises.

Councillor for Shear Brow, Councillor Hussain Akhtar, said:

This business has been operating as a fast food takeaway when it did not have the permission to do so, and despite warnings had continued to do so.

There were quite a few concerns from the community around how this business was running, with problems around littering and parking and general anti-social behaviour, as well as concerns around breaching of national Covid restrictions.

There was really no option but to take action and shut the business down and the notice will be reviewed in 28 days whilst enforcement proceedings are ongoing.”