Blackburn garage to be knocked down and rebuilt on third try

A1 Tyres in Clarendon Road, which Blackburn with Darwen Council officers describe as having ‘an untidy outlook’, has been subject to three applications for demolition by owner Mohammad Aslam.

The firm first got the green light in 2021, but its permission lapsed, with a second failed application in 2024 seeking permission to add an MOT garage to the site, which sparked concerns about parking and road safety from nearby residents.

Mr Aslam attempted to appeal this decision to the Planning Inspectorate, but the government-appointed inspector upheld the council's refusal and residents’ concerns about noise and smell pollution stemming from the garage.

What the new A1 Tyres building will look like (Image: Blackburn with Darwen Council)

 But this successful third application is much closer to the first, with the ‘reasonably dilapidated buildings’ of A1 Tyres now set to be flattened in favour of a new low-profile tyre fitting centre, with no MOT facility.

In place of the old Portakabin and single-storey concrete-panel building that currently occupy the site, a new purpose-built tyre retailing and fitting workshop measuring around 33.5 metres by 10 metres will be constructed.

This new building will have a dual-pitched roof reaching 5.8 metres at its highest point, with a roller shutter for vehicle access.

Once again, objections were raised with this latest proposal, with one neighbouring property raising the issue of on-street parking caused by the tyre fitting garage, as well as the number of private vehicles being sold in Clarendon Road.

However, as the proposals lay out six off-street parking bays, including a disabled space, planning officers judged this to be a suitable capacity for a business of its size.

The planner also noted: “The objection also offers concerns regarding the sale of private vehicles on the adopted highway.

"This is a matter that should be reported to the Council’s Planning Enforcement team, where there is sufficient evidence of such activities occurring.”

Recommending that the demolition and reconstruction of the site be approved, the planning officer said that the works would enhance the ‘reasonably dilapidated’ location and improve the appearance of the area.

Conditions were attached requiring further details on noise mitigation, demolition and construction management.

Land contamination investigations and restrictions on operating hours and future use of the site were also attached to Blackburn with Darwen’s approval of the project.