Blackburn Philadelphia takeaway that sparked free fried chicken frenzy faces being shutdown

The premises in Whalley New Road in Bastwell had opened with out planning permission and an application for backdated approval has now been refused.

Now Blackburn with Darwen Council is threatening to take enforcement action, which could include closing down the Philadelphia Fried Chicken takeaway.

The business has the option to appeal within six months which would delay any action by the authority.

Philadelphia had the grand opening with a free meal offer in November with people queuing before 5pm despite the freezing temperatures.

The crowds stretched from the takeaway – which had undergone extensive renovations – all the way to Whalley Range.

Now the council has rejected the backdated application for planning permission from Farman Ahmed and is to seek enforcement action over the business opening without approval.

A planning officer’s report said: “The site was recently used as a restaurant in accordance with the previous approval, however is now operating as an unauthorised hot-food takeaway.

“The application has been submitted on the back of intervention from enforcement colleagues, is therefore retrospective.

“Planning permission is sough for change of use of ground floor to hot-food takeaway.

“The proposed hot food takeaway, by virtue of its location within the 400 metre exclusion zone around multiple education facilities and a high number of

existing hot food takeaways, is considered to be detrimental to the health of young people in the borough,

“The proposed use has the potential to cause a loss of amenity to nearby residential properties by virtue of noise and odour emissions.

“The proposal will result in an over concentration of hot food takeaway and is therefore considered detrimental to the character and vitality of the Bastwell District Centre.”

A spokeswoman for Blackburn with Darwen Council said: “We take a hard line on applications for new, hot food takeaways in wards where more than 10 per cent of year six pupils are classed as obese.

“This application is in such a ward and within an area already containing a high number of existing hot food takeaways.

“The applicant now has a right to appeal our decision to the Planning Inspectorate within six months.

“A report will also be presented to the council’s planning and highways committee in April seeking authorisation to take enforcement action should an appeal not be submitted.”

A spokesman for the business declined to make immediate comment.