The “Electric Church” bar in Blackburn may transform into a tea shop with office space, offering Karak Chaii and light snacks.
A company, Aya Services Ltd, wants to make the change. The ground floor would be the tea shop and the upper floor will become office space. Urban Future Planning Consultancy wrote about the plan. They want to convert the vacant bar, believing it will be a good use of the building.
The tea shop will serve Karak Chaii, a tea from India. They’ll also have light snacks, offering both dine-in and takeaway options. The applicant hopes to attract customers, potentially drawing business from nearby offices and shops.
These uses fit well in the town center. The building is in the Northgate Conservation Area, near some listed buildings. They will change the shopfront to look more traditional, making the interior visible.
The tea shop would improve the area by attracting more people, creating new, local jobs, and providing more choices. The current bar opens late, but the tea shop will mostly be open during the day, which will be less disruptive to neighbors.
The tea shop hours will suit the town center. They will not cook or fry food there, only reheat prepared food. The new shopfront would fit the area’s style and should not harm the conservation area; it might even improve the look of the area.