Plans for a snooker hall at Wellington Mill in Blackburn were denied due to location and road safety concerns.
The council said no to the Bolton Road hall. They think it is wrong for that spot. The council worries about road safety, too.
People disliked the snooker hall proposal. It could hurt shared yard space. They also mentioned parking and vehicle access.
The building is run-down, they said. They cited trash and rat issues, too.
An official report advised rejecting the plan. Wellington Mill is west of Bolton Road. It’s south of Sharples and Pomfret Streets. The area around the mill is mostly businesses.
Baksh sought a change of use permit. He wanted to change the mill’s first floor. It would go from industry to a snooker hall. No building changes were planned.
The report said the building suits current business use. The area has viable businesses. The lack of empty buildings shows this.
The plan lacked support. Baksh didn’t justify losing work space. He also lacked proof of marketing the space. The site was not marketed for twelve months.
They did not disprove continued job creation use. The snooker hall could offer some jobs. It might boost social and health benefits.
The social benefits would not fix the loss of jobs. Snooker halls are “town center” activities. They belong in town centers. This boosts town vitality.
Parking would be poor for the hall. This might hurt road safety. The hall’s hours are evenings. Other businesses might be closed then. Still, parking issues were not resolved. Inadequate parking makes access unacceptable.