A LEADING clergyman and traders today spoke out over plans to turn one of Blackburn's oldest shops into a nightclub or bar.

Canon Andrew Hindley said he was considering objecting formally to planners at Blackburn with Darwen Council about the proposals for A Haworth and Sons Furniture Store in Darwen Street.

And traders said the move spelled the end for Darwen Street as a shopping area.

Luminar Leisure - which owns venues like Tokyo Jo's in Preston and The Ironworks in Burnley - wants to take over Haworths and the former Little Sheffield ironmongers in Darwen Street.

Canon Hindley said he was concerned at the proposal, which is just across the road from the Cathedral, and would assess the plans with a view to formally objecting.

Last year, officials expressed concern about the number of drinkers in the area around the Cathedral and successfully fought to stop councillors giving planning permission to a bar proposed for the former Carrotts building between Church Street and the Cathedral grounds.

They claimed the rising number of bars and pubs around the cathedral was disrupting services and that revellers were sometimes intimidating visitors.

Today Canon Hindley said: "The Cathedral is concerned about any development of this nature around the grounds. The site of the Cathedral is a conservation area.

"We are looking at the application and should be making a formal response to the council, but we don't yet know if it is appropriate for the Cathedral to intervene.

"We hope the development will be appropriate and fit in with the ongoing work in Church Street."

The closure of Haworths would leave just one non-food shop in Darwen Streetbetween Church Street and Railway Road -- and that is a pawnbrokers.

Ron O'Keefe, president of the town's Chamber of Trade, added: "Howarth's are relocating in the town so Blackburn isn't losing any businesses, but it's another demise of another shop to be replaced by a night time business.

"This will bring people down at night but doesn't help traders on the street during the day."

Peter Haworth, part owner of the family run Haworth's furniture shop, which has been in the building since 1919, claimed Darwen Street had become an area for cafes bars and pubs even though trade had improve slightly since the closure of Church Street.

When Blackburn with Darwen Council announced its £2.5million plans for pedestrianising Church Street, it said it aimed to open up the town centre, attracting more shops to Darwen Street.

But Mr Haworth said business in Darwen Street had declined ever since the Debenhams store was built and effectively blocked them off to passing shoppers.

He said: "We need to get into a better area of the town centre for retail. We have a couple of options lined up but don't want to reveal those plans at the minute.

"It's a leisure site and that's what people want in this part of town.

"All the major cities have cafes near Cathedrals and I think it would look great to have this in Blackburn surround ours."

Nearby trader Bob Turner, who runs Toplex electrical store, said: "It isn't good news for us because we need more shops here not night-time venues."

The man in charge of rengerating Blackburn town centre, Coun Ashley Whalley, is not allowed to comment on planning applications before they are heard at the planning and highways committee as he is a member of the committee.

Luminar has submitted the planning application to Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council via a development firm called Town Centre Estates Limited.

It proposes to alter the exterior and interior of the buildings and construct an extension to accommodate a bar or club.

Luminar today declined to comment on what sort of licence they would be applying for if planning permission was given.

A spokesman said: "We can confirm we have an interest in a site in Darwen Street, Blackburn, and have submitted a planning application to the council."