A TAXI firm owner has won the right to open a 24-hour call centre.

Mushref Parvez was victorious after councillors on Hyndburn Borough Council's planning committee disagreed with officers' recommendations that taxis would be parked outside his premises, posing a highways risk.

They sided with Mr Parvez who had changed his earlier application, refused on March 4, to categorically state that there would be no public access, waiting room or facilities and that no taxis would park outside or nearby.

But they left a strict condition that it should only be used for taking bookings and taxis should not be parked there.

Mr Parvez won his right to open the office in a first-floor flat, on Union Road, opposite the junction with Rhyddings Street, Oswaldtwistle, after changing his initial application and mobilising local support.

He got Timmie Healey, friend and owner of the convenience store Pantry 2 underneath the proposed office, to speak for him at the meeting to accompany the 149-signature petition he accumulated for the previous application.

The decision ran contrary to Lancashire County Council's Environmental Directorate and the borough council's head of engineering services, who both said it posed a risk to road safety. Planning chiefs also received two letters objecting because of parking difficulties, congestion, road safety, traffic noise and fear of a loss of property values, plus the presence of another taxi firm 25-50 yards away.

Mr Parvez, 24, of Burnley, said: "I'm absolutely delighted and I would like to thank all those who helped me and the councillors for voting for this."

Mr Healey, 37, of Oswaldtwistle, said: "This is an area of commercial properties and as this is just an office, there will be no taxis parked there. If there was, I would be the first to object to it because I own the shop underneath and I don't want cars to be parked outside my shop.

"It will be great for the area and I thank the councillors for making the right decision."

Coun Brian Walmsley, of St Andrew's ward, said: "It is not a taxi rank, it is a call centre and I see no problem with this at all. No one lives at either side of this ."

Brent Clarkson, chief planning and transportation officer for Hyndburn Borough Council, said: "The council's head of engineering services and Lancashire County Council's traffic and development engineer have indicated that the detrimental effects which led to the previous application being refused still apply.

"It is, in their view, the nature of taxi offices that drivers of hire cars park their vehicles outside or as close as possible to the office both while awaiting bookings or taking their breaks.

"In view of the strong highways objections I recommend that the application be refused."