New dessert restaurant plan for listed Waterloo Pavilions building

Waterloo Pavilions in Church Street, a grade-II listed building dating back to 1835, is going to be turned into a dessert restaurant after Blackburn with Darwen Council planning officer Martin Kenny approved the proposed development.

Haute Dolci, which has restaurants in Coventry and Ellesmere Port and plans to open in Leicester, Manchester, Bolton, Lytham and Leeds, specialises in desserts like Belgian waffles, American pancakes, French crepes and milkshakes.

The Pavilions were originally constructed in stone sourced from the Catlow Quarry in Nelson and were radically remodelled  in 2004 as part of a £1.3 million heritage project.

Prior to redevelopment, they had been empty for 13 years.

The scheme was a collaboration by a number of different partners including Blackburn with Darwen Council, Historic England, The Heritage Lottery Fund, Townscape Heritage Initiative, North West Development Agency & Capita Property Consultancy.

According to planning documents, the historic section of the building will be largely unaltered, with the existing timber roof to be retained.

Windows are to be “sensitively” restored and brickwork will be cleaned and repainted.

The statement reads: “In order to conserve the building’s value it is important that adaptation does not unnecessarily harm the principle significant attributes of the building.

“Instead it seeks to inform proposals and safeguard signficiance through preservation by sensitive management of change and safeguarding future uses for the building.”

Plans had originally been lodged in September but following discussions with council officers, the application was revised to ensure the building’s heritage was not affected.

A heritage statement submitted in December stated: “The alterations have an informed rationale and will not have a detrimental impact or cause harm to the more significant attributes of the building.

“Any cosmetic introductions are considered reversible."