The owners of a Blackburn farm's hopes of building a new shop to boost their income and help pay for their daughter to study at agricultural college have been dashed by planners.

Alan Bretherton and Jackie Aspin wanted to add a farm retail cabin and a disabled parking space on land off Enoch Brow in Pleasington Lane, Pleasington.

But their application for planning permission made in May has been refused by Blackburn with Darwen Council.

The couple had told planners that daughter was studying at agricultural college and the timber cabin would provide her with some part-time employment to supplement her agricultural studies and diversify the existing farming operations creating much needed extra income for their Brownlow Farm.

But the council has ruled the shop would be an inappropriate development in protected 'Green Belt' countryside and create unacceptable parking and road safety problems.

A report recommending refusal by planning officer Christian Barton says: "The land forms part of a wider agricultural holding known as Brownlow Farm.

"This application involves the erection of a freestanding building to be used as a farm shop. Timber cladding would be used.

"Milk, eggs and milkshakes would be sold from the farm shop "Two public comments been received objecting on the following grounds: other more suitable sites are available locally, vehicle access arrangements are unsuitable, many customers would likely drive to the farm shop, the narrow pavement would deter many people from walking there, parked vehicles often cause congestion along Enoch Brow, and highway safety impacts may be caused "Pleasington Parish Council has considered the planning application for a farm shop on Enoch Brow.

"While it welcomes the idea of the shop and consider that it would be an asset to the village for both local residents and walkers, it has some reservations about the vehicle access on what is a dangerous stretch of road.

"It cannot be plausibly argued that the proposed farm shop would form an ancillary addition to the existing farming operations. "It would clearly comprise of a freestanding independent retail unit, which would essentially operate as a milkshake shop. "Such forms of development are, by definition, an inappropriate form of development within the Green Belt. No ve "Businesses such as the one proposed can often be extremely popular, especially in the warmer months "The proposals involve the erection of a new freestanding retail building within the Green Belt, and they would fail to adequately preserve its openness.

"An insufficient level of information has been provided regarding how vehicle parking would be managed or how adequate visibility for motorists egressing the site would be achieved."