OBJECTORS have won their fight against a proposed amusement centre close to a youth project and a primary school.

Councillors ignored planning officials' advice and refused the application to open the MJA Leisure centre in Mill Hill, Blackburn.

Moves to convert a former video shop in New Chapel Street into the amusement centre met with opposition from council leader Malcolm Doherty and the area's community association.

Lancashire's youth and community service also called on the council to throw out the application.

A letter from the service said: "As an educational organisation we feel that such premises can only be detrimental to the work we are doing with young people.

"Part of our work is to discourage young people from any form of gambling and having such a premises within 25 yards of our centre would without doubt create a conflict of values and interests."

But planning chiefs warned members of the planning and highways committee not to make a decision on moral grounds but on planning issues. Councillor Andy Kay said: "It is not often we ignore the advice of our officers but after looking into this issue in some depth we intend to refuse the application.

"The premises will act as a magnet to teenagers.

"The applicant has said they will not allow people under the age of 18 into the centre but we cannot accept that.

"Once the application is accepted, the nature of the centre could change."

The committee refused the application, claiming the business could cause a traffic hazard.

They pointed out that the centre would be close to a school, youth and community centre, a busy bus stop and a nearby park.

But Darwen councillor Paul Browne blasted the decision.

He said: "We have got an amusement centre in Darwen and teenagers are not allowed in.

"To say this one would attract teenagers is an absolute disgrace.

"This is the sort of area where we want to attract new businesses and yet we are turning this application down."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.