Temporary café container at Former Fleece Inn, Blackburn
Summary of planning committee decision
Decided by Blackburn Planning and Highways Committee on 21 Aug 2025.
What was proposed
The application sought retrospective permission for a clad shipping container café, with associated works, for a temporary five-year period.
“Proposed development: Full Planning Application (Regulation 4): Installation of a prefabricated shipping container with external cladding for a temporary five year period for use as a cafe (Class Use Eb) with associated works. Retrospective.”
Officer report
The site
The 204-square-metre brownfield site is the former Fleece Inn footprint, east of Penny Street and southwest of Penny Street Car Park.
“The application site (the site) measures 204 square metres. It is located to the east of Penny Street and to the southwest of Penny Street Car Park, as defined by the red edged Location Plan extracted below, representing the footprint of the former Fleece Inn Public House which was recently demolished with the site remediated to the extent of a compacted stone surface and soil bunding. The site is, therefore, previously developed land (brownfield).”
“The site is located within the Blackburn Town Centre East Investment Area, as defined by the Adopted Policies Map of the Local Plan 2021 – 2037.”
Officer report
Officers’ recommendation
Officers recommended approval because the temporary town-centre use supported growth objectives and technical matters could be addressed through conditions.
“APPROVE – Subject to conditions as set out in paragraph 4.1.”
“Support for the proposal would secure an appropriate (temporary) commercial town centre use at a recently cleared site, in support of the Council’s strategic growth objectives. The proposal is also satisfactory from a technical point of view, with all issues having been addressed through the application or capable of being controlled or mitigated through planning conditions.”
Officer report
Consultation responses
Public Protection, Highways, Council Property and drainage officers raised no objections, with drainage officers requiring an approved drainage scheme.
“No objections due to the temporary nature of the proposal, subject to a drainage scheme to be submitted for approval.”
Officer report
Committee decision
The committee resolved to approve the application subject to the conditions highlighted in the Director’s Report.
“Decision under Town and Country Planning Acts and Regulations –”
“RESOLVED – Approved subject to the conditions highlighted in the Director’s Report.”
Minutes
Sources
- Blackburn Planning and Highways Committee minutes, 21 August 2025
- Agenda and papers (council website)
Source: Plota analysis of Blackburn's committee minutes and officer report. Quotations are the council's own words; headings and summaries are Plota's.
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- Council
- Blackburn
- Date
- Thursday 21 August 2025
- Committee decided
- Approved
- Minutes
- The council's minutes
- Meeting
- Agenda and papers (council website)
- Application
- The application (council website)
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- Blackburn committee decisions →
This committee's year
19 decisions in the 12 months to this meeting.
Source: Plota analysis of the committee's minutes.