A former police office is to be transformed into a space to support children and young people following planning approval from the council.

In February, Bacup Family Centre applied for planning permission with Rossendale Council to convert a former police office, in Union Street, Bacup, into a Community Led Youth Hub.

With the hub, the group wants to ‘re-establish our community culture of supporting, valuing, appreciating, and protecting children and young people’.

The family centre has been engaging with some of the youths in Bacup since November 2021.

A planning statement read: “Throughout the process our intention is to engage and encourage children and young people to be part of ‘Solutions’ in building a child/youth provision and reducing anti-social and risk taking behaviours and social isolation.”

The group started working with young people after a council led meeting about anti-social and criminal behaviour within the town.

The statement adds: “Many conversations have been held and in chatting to the youth, their request was for them to have somewhere safe to meet that was warm, had a pool table and settee and that there was someone there for them to talk to.

“Several premises and locations around the town centre have been discussed within our solutions meetings - churches, church halls, ABD Centre, and all were found to be not suitable, due to size, venues, and facilities available.

“5 Union Street is the ideal size, and location - not too big or too small, on one level and it is where the youth are already congregating.

“It’s accessible and in a non-residential area with CCTV just outside the premises which would deter any unwanted behaviours on exiting the building.”

In recent months, engagement days were held with the public who the centre say are supportive of the plans, as were neighbouring businesses such as the tattoo shop and Anne’s Children’s Wear.

Now that approval has been granted, the hub will potentially be open seven days a week, opening no earlier than 8am and closing no later than 10pm.

The structure of the building will not be changed as part of the transformation.

Natasha Cartwright, from the Bacup Family Centre, said: "We are absolutely delighted with the planning approval.

"Our community family support workers have been engaging with the towns young people for almost two years now, through weekly walkabouts and engagement nights assisted by volunteers here at the Family Centre - this is a very exciting step forward for all those involved in the project and our community.

"We would really like to thank all of our young people for being so patient and sticking with us.

"We’d also like to thank all those who have supported the Solutions Project and worked really hard to get it to this point.

"Although we still have a little way to go before we can open this is a huge step and we can’t wait to get started."