ANOTHER discount store has been told it can’t sell food from a Blackburn retail park.

Poundworld wanted to open a third store in the town on the Townsmoor Retail Park, in Great Bolton Street.

As part of the project, it applied to sell a small amount of food and drink from the store, but Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council planners have refused permission.

It comes just three months after Pound Stretcher was told it wasn’t allowed to sell food and other listed items from a new store on the neighbouring Nova Scotia Retail Park.

Poundworld wanted to open in the units previously occupied by Blockbuster and Moben Sharps, until both firms went into administration and closed their stores on Townsmoor.

A spokesman for Poundworld’s planning agents Prime said: “Poundworld already operates from two stores within The Mall shopping centre in Blackburn town centre.

“One of the stores was occupied only relatively recently when the unit became available following the failure of the Peacocks chain of stores.

“It is very unusual for any retailer like Poundworld to operate two stores so similar so close together, and in due course it is likely that Poundworld will seek to rationalise its town centre representation back to a single store. That is the position irrespective of the outcome of this planning application, and the leases on both existing units run until the second half of 2020.

“Poundworld’s commitment to Blackburn town centre is therefore not in doubt.

“The proposed store is intended to broaden Poundworld’s customer base within Blackburn, and appeal to those customers who prefer to undertake shopping in this part of Blackburn.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council refused the application to sell food and drink because of concerns on the ‘vitality’ of the town centre.

In February, Pound Stretcher was ordered to close, on the day its official opening was planned, in a dispute over planning permission.