Planning permission has been granted for the transformation of a former office building on Railway Road into a dedicated taxi hub. The applicant, Waseem Hussain, is set to convert the premises into a taxi booking office that will not be accessible to the general public, ensuring that it operates as a behind-the-scenes hub for taxi operations.
The application received approval from Blackburn with Darwen Council, with two specific conditions attached. The building previously served as the constituency office for former MP Sir Jake Berry, who represented Rossendale and Darwen until he lost his seat to Labour’s Andy MacNae in the General Election on July 4, with a margin of 5,628 votes. Berry, who held his position since 2010, previously chaired the Conservative Party and served in several government roles, including Minister for the Northern Powerhouse.
A report from a planning officer recommending approval noted that the property in question is a single-storey stone building adjacent to a three-storey structure that is part of a terrace along the west side of Railway Road. The premises are set back from the adjoining terrace and feature a flagged forecourt at the front. Additionally, the site is bordered to the south by a service road connected to the adjacent Darwen Market premises.
Currently vacant, the building has not been occupied since it served as a constituency office for the local MP. The approved plan allows for a change of use designation, converting the building into a taxi control office. Importantly, the report specifies that there will be no public access to the premises, and no external changes to the building are planned.
The site is located within a commercial setting, situated in the designated town center of Darwen and within its conservation area. The planning report emphasized that due to the nature of the proposed use, which excludes public access, it is unlikely that the changes will disrupt the amenity of surrounding properties. Additionally, the property has a history of functioning as a taxi booking office for over a decade, with no recorded issues affecting the locality.
The submission details that the taxi office will employ one full-time staff member, with operations primarily managed through an online booking service via an app. The absence of public access implies that the taxi office will not function like a traditional booking office, where patrons typically visit in person. Consequently, the planning report concluded that there are no foreseeable conflicts with highway safety, as it is unlikely that taxis will pick up passengers directly from the street in front of the building.