Plans to turn Lowerhouse Cricket Club tea room into pizza parlour set to be rejected

They have been recommended to refuse the change by officers.

Lowerhouse Cricket Club, founded in 1862, applied to Burnley Council for planning permission to use the detached function room as hot food takeaway.

It wishes to lease the tea room to Street Food Pizza, of nearby Victory House, for an initial 12 months in return for it investing in repairing the building.

The application by the Lancashire League club is due to be debated by Burnley Council’s Development Control Committee on Thursday.

But a planning officer’s report recommends refusal of the application for the change at the Brooks Foundation Ground in David Wren Way.

A supporting statement from the club says that the second-hand scout hut reassembled on the site in the 1960’s needed £42,000 of roof repairs.

The statement adds: “Our proposal is to lease the site to Street Food Pizza`s for an initial period of 12 months with a rolling agreement to renew annually.

“The initial proposal would see them provide significant investment in the current building and then operate as an eat-in and take-away service Thursday to Sunday closing at 8-30pm and creating three part-time jobs.”

The planning officer’s report says: “This application relates to an existing building known as the tea room.

“The tea room is the most southerly building within the site and is detached from the main building.

“The cricket club is accessed off Lowerhouse Lane and benefits from a substantial size car park.

“The existing floor plan comprises of an open plan room with a service counter.

“The proposed change of use will consist of the installation of a prep counter and a pizza oven.

“No external alterations are proposed.

“Welfare facilities for customers and staff within the main clubhouse will be open at the same time as the proposed takeaway.

“The application site currently provides circa 80 parking spaces, eight will be allocated for the use of the takeaway.”

The report recommends refusal on the grounds that: “The proposed takeaway use would lead to an intensification of the site.

“In the absence of a scheme for improvement works to the access to improve visibility, the development is considered to have an adverse impact upon highway safety.”