A DARWEN pub landlord has been given approval to keep the decking outside his premises at the second attempt.

Paul Dean was horrified when town hall planners refused him permission to retain the covered drinking area at the Alexandra Hotel in Hindle Street in May.

He faced the possibility of have to tear down the structure which cost him £13,000.

But now a revised backdated planning application has been approved by Blackburn with Darwen Council allowing him to retain the canopied beer garden.

The permission requires him to paint it grey and use natural for the roof, and it hours of operation have been restricted to 8am to 11pm.

A report recommending approval with five conditions by planning officer Christian Barton says: "The application site is a public house located within the settlement of Darwen.

"It is positioned off a residential road and dwellings surround to all sides.

"The building has ornate natural stone elevations, a slate roof and white doors and windows. It is an early-Victorian former manor house built in a lingering Georgian style.

"This application seeks retrospective consent to retain and finish a raised decking area with associated canopy which provides a covered outdoor seating area.

"The structure has been constructed from timber and it currently has a felt lined shallow mono-pitched roof. A timber balustrade has also been installed enclosing the raised platform area.

"The application is a resubmission with a number of design improvements now proposed."

A public protection consultee said: "I have no objection but have concerns about the potential impact should the outside decking area be used up until the pub closing time of 1.30am Thursday to Friday and 12.30am on all other nights.

"The pub is surrounded by a residential area. The covered decking area adjacent to the pub itself makes it more likely that customers will congregate and use this area late into the night.

"I would be grateful if an hours of use condition could be imposed upon this outdoor area."

The planning report added: "The previous application was refused as the existing structure does not relate well visually with the existing building.

"However, a number of design improvements are detailed as part of this submission.

"The structure would be painted grey, which would match the colour scheme of the adjacent rendered porch feature

"A condition has been added to ensure the structure is roofed with natural slates.

"Conditions have been added to control the operating times of the seating area and to prevent the broadcasting of amplified music to safeguard the aural amenities of the immediate neighbours."