BLACKBURN is get an Indian-style takeaway 'Chai' tea shop off a main road to and from the town.

Muhammad Qasim Hussain is to open the premises on vacant land off Whalley New Road in Roe Lee.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has granted him planning permission for the scheme.

His agent Nazia Shah, of Urban Future Planning Consultancy Ltd said: "The unit will sell ‘Karak Chaii’, a tea that originates from the street markets of Dehli, India alongside a range of light snacks.

"The location is ideal, within walking distance of high-density residential settings and within a cluster of existing shops that are mainly accessed on foot from the surrounding side-streets.

"The site at present is unsightly and vacant and has been subject to fly-tipping, arson and anti-social behaviour previously.

"The proposed development will put it to effective use and would represent a notable improvement to the site’s aesthetics given the contemporary and well-designed nature of the proposed structure.

"The entire site will benefit from a general ‘tidy up’ as part of the proposals.

"The new business will also be hiring local people which is something positive, given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the local economy.

"The operating hours will be Monday to Sunday 8am to 10.30pm and it is envisaged that six people

would be employed in total. "