Offices of former Tory MP Sir Jake Berry to be turned into minicab call centre

The former office of ex-Lancashire MP Jake Berry in Darwen is set to become a minicab booking hub after receiving the go-ahead from planners. The premises at 7A Railway Road, previously used by Sir Jake until his defeat to Labour's Andy MacNae on July 4 by 5,628 votes, will be converted into a taxi booking office without public access, following applicant Waseem Hussain's successful proposal.

The building, which has been vacant since serving as the constituency office for the former Rossendale and Darwen MP, received planning approval with two conditions attached. A planning officer's report endorsing the decision noted: "The host building is a single-storey, stone-built, property. It adjoins a three-storey building that forms part of the terrace fronting the west side of Railway Road.

"The property is set back from the adjoining terrace and has a flagged forecourt in front. The site is bounded to the south by the service road for the adjacent Darwen Market premises. The building is currently vacant, having last been occupied as a constituency office for the local MP."

The planning submission has revealed that the proposed taxi office will not be open to the public. No changes to the exterior of the building are planned, reports Lancs Live.

The site is situated in a predominantly commercial area within the defined Darwen Town Centre and falls within the Darwen Town Centre conservation area.

The report continues: "Given this factor, and the nature of the proposed use that does not include access for members of the general public, there appears little prospect for the proposal to erode the amenity of surrounding uses. It is also noted that the property has previously operated as a taxi booking office for more than a decade without any identified conflict with the amenity of the locality."

The taxi office is expected to employ one full-time staff member and will cater exclusively to online bookings .The report clarifies that due to the absence of public access, there is "no realistic prospect" of taxis collecting customers directly from the street outside the premises.