HOOLIGAN attacks have made a normally busy road in Burnley a no-go area for buses and cars at night-time, a councillor claimed.

Beryl Barnes said the dangers underlined the need for a taxi office in Cog Lane to provide a much-needed amenity for residents.

She told Burnley Council's development control committee: "It is a very dangerous place at night. No buses or cars go down there at night because they are always being attacked."

Coun Barnes was backing an application by fellow councillor Mohammed Najib for permission to open a private hire office for two cars within his shop at 365 Cog Lane. But other councillors expressed strong doubts over the proposal which was eventually approved for a one-year trial period.

Conservative leader Enid Tate said acceptance would open the floodgates to every shop with a forecourt to apply for taxi offices.

Burnley, she added, was already over-provided with taxis.

She said if the area was as dangerous as the committee was being led to believe, the same danger applied to taxis and no-one would be prepared to go there at night. Coun Harry Brooks said he was concerned to know what the knock on effects of the application would be. "We need to proceed with extreme care and consider this in light of the precedent it may be setting."

But his suggestion that the application should be deferred to the next meeting of the committee to allow officers to investigate that issue was narrowly defeated.

Members heard a similar application for four cars at the shop was rejected by councillors in 1997 because of the likely effect on residential amenity.

Coun Brooks said if there was refusal for nuisance caused by the comings and goings of four cars, the same principle applied for two vehicles.

Coun Carole Barber warned she had long experience of taxi problems and said restrictions proposed on the use of the office amounted to nothing.

"You cannot put restrictions on taxis because they will violate them and it is practically impossible to enforce," she said.

Members heard an 80-name petition had been raised supporting the proposal and no objections had been received.

Environmental health and highways officers had reported the proposal would be acceptable for a trial period.

The committee approved the application with conditions.

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