PLANS to turn a Burnley town centre shop into an amusement arcade have been withdrawn.

Summit Leisure (Deansgate) Ltd lodged an appeal after Burnley Council threw out plans to change the use of a shop, currently occupied by Computer World, in St James' Street last December.

Members of the council's development control committee opposed the application because they did not want to lose any retail units on the town's main shopping street.

But a public inquiry by a government planning inspector to hear the appeal has been cancelled after the firm mysteriously withdrew its appeal.

Town centre manager, Lisa Durkin, who had objected to the original application when it was submitted in October last year, said she was delighted that plans to challenge the council's decision had been blocked.

She said: "Burnley town centre management was opposed to this application, so this is really good news.

"St James' Street is a primary shopping area in the town and it is protected for retail purposes in the emerging Local Plan -- the blue print for future development in Burnley.

Lisa said: "We need to protect the primary retail areas where possible because once they have been given over to another use it is hard to get them back."

The company could not be traced for comment last night.