New McDonalds coming to Lancashire town - plans launched for former Pizza Hut site

The golden arches could soon appear at the former Pizza Hut site in Peel Retail and Leisure Park, Blackburn, which closed suddenly in July.

Read more about the Pizza Hut closure here

A notice was found taped to the windows confirming the closure and directing customers to its nearest restaurants in Preston and Bolton. All signs were taken down and the building appears empty, with more than a dozen staff understood to have lost their jobs.

But less than two months later, there is new hope for the unit and jobs in the area. McDonald’s Restaurants Ltd have submitted a full planning application to Blackburn with Darwen Council, aiming to convert the building and make a series of changes, including the erection of a single storey extension, replacement doors and glazing, installation of plant and equipment, erection of new permitre fencing, and changes to the car parking layout. Three parking spaces would be removed and two existing disabled bays would be made bigger.

An agent for McDonald’s states: “Overall, the proposals will bring the recently vacated unit back into active use and provide a new restaurant in a highly accessible location that fulfils a demand for McDonald’s in this area. It will also result in economic benefits that will directly and indirectly support the local economy, including new employment opportunities and the generation of business rates.

“The proposals represent a sustainable development that will facilitate the delivery of economic investment. The application proposals are in accordance with the adopted development plan.”