Former lap dance club may be flats
THE former home of a controversial town centre lap dancing club could be turned into flats.
A planning application for the first and second floors of the building on the corner of Blackburn Road and Dutton Street in Accrington has been submitted to Hyndburn council.
In 2012 it briefly hosted the icandy club despite a campaign and 1,500-signature petition opposing its opening for lap dancing.
Previously the building had been a fast food restaurant.
Since the club closed, attempts to turn it into a restaurant and bar and nightclub and gin bar have foundered.
Now Riast Khan, from Rawtenstall, has applied for permission to turn the top two floors of the threestorey building into eight flats.
He was previously behind the 2014 scheme to use the building at 55 to 59 Accrington Road, opposite the town hall and market, for a nightclub and gin bar.
The scheme has been given a qualified welcome by Hyndburn council leader Coun Miles Parkinson as long as the flats were not ‘rabbit hutches’.
A design and access statement accompanying the outline application says: “The building occupies a prominent site at the junction of Blackburn Road and Dutton Street.
“This application is for the change of use of the existing lap dancing club to eight self contained apartments.
“The first floor was used as a lap dancing club this use was granted in February 2012 and after a short period it was closed as a club.
“It has been disused as a club for several years. The second floor is vacant. This is not a listed building but it is defined as locally important in the conservation area. The project is to use the existing first and second floor for residential use.
“The internal alterations proposed involve relocating a staircase and lift and the construction of the apartments. A ground floor waste store is included.
“Adequate car parking is available either on street or in the various car parks around the town centre.
“The site is a prominent town centre site with availability of shops, the market and other town centre facilities.”
Coun Parkinson said: “I would support this application provided the apartments are of high-quality and size. We do not want bedsits or rabbit hutches.
“This site has a chequered history and it would be good to bring it back into use and bring people into the town centre.”