A TOWN centre cafe selling cold food and hot drinks is to be upgraded to serve hot dishes to eat in and take away.

Mohammed Jassat has been given planning permission for the change for his Cha Cha Chai eaterie in Darwen Street, Blackburn.

The cafe is in the Darwen Street Conservation area.

The planning consent from Blackburn with Darwen Council is for a change of use from cafe serving cold food, hot and cold beverages only, to a mixed use café/restaurant/takeaway serving hot and cold food and beverages on and off the premises.

It also approves external alterations including installation of new access door to rear, and extraction system including air vent within roof and extractor grill within rear wall.

A report recommending approval by planning officer Tom Wiggans says: "The site lies within a row of commercial premises within the town centre and lies within the Darwen Street Conservation Area.

"The two storey premises (with shop frontage at ground floor) has been in use as a café since November 2021, selling cold food and hot and cold beverages with hours of use Monday to Sunday (including Bank Holidays) 7am to 11pm.

"The proposal is for a change of use to facilitate cooking hot food on the premises and to serve hot and cold food on and off the premises.

"No changes are proposed to the existing hours of opening.

"The proposed material for the rear external door is solid timber and an aluminium for the grille.

"In this case, the proposal is for the introduction of a takeaway element to an existing café/restaurant in the town centre, to operate as a mixed use.

"In principle there are no objections to this.

"Although the introduction of a takeaway element could potentially increase the impact upon public health, the takeaway element would be operated as part of the existing café/restaurant use, and there are unlikely to be any material additional adverse impacts on health.

"Furthermore, keeping the building in active use, and the wider social and economic benefits this brings, are considered to outweigh any potential health impacts.

"The external alterations are located at the rear of the building, with very limited views from Mill Lane.

"The proposal will not result in any discernible harm being caused to the Darwen Street Conservation Area."