NIGHTCLUB giant Luminar Leisure has ditched plans to open a bar opposite Blackburn Cathedral.

The firm, which also runs Jumpin' Jak's in Blackburn and the Ironworks in Burnley, submitted a planning application to convert two shops in Darwen Street into a bar last year.

Councillors opposed the application after hearing concerns from clergy that the cathedral grounds could become a haven for drunks, vandals and prostitutes if any more bars were opened near by.

They called for a planning condition which stipulated a fence must be built around the cathedral by the developer if the pub plan, involving the former Haworth's furniture shop and Little Sheffield ironmongers, went through.

But concern that the upper floors of the building would not be used by Luminar, along with the loss of retail shop space in Darwen Street, prompted councillors to turn down the application.

A planning appeal was due to be held at the start of January, but was postponed after the planning inspector fell ill. He has the power to overturn the planning decision.

But when the hearing was due to restart, officers at the council were told the applicant had withdrawn the appeal. A spokesman for Luminar today confirmed: "We are not progressing plans for our development on that site. We withdrew our planning appeal accordingly."

Canon Andrew Hindley, who deals with regeneration matters for the cathedral, said today: "It is very pleasing for us that we will not have another bar near to the cathedral.

"We do not want to become surrounded by public houses, and this plan was in totally the wrong location.

"We hope that a new use can be found for empty buildings on Darwen Street but they have to be appropriate."

A letter sent by the Cathedral to last May's planning committee stated: "With Luminar's other new venture and the Postal Order pub, this proposal would thus enhance the image of the cathedral conservation area as being the red light district of Blackburn, thereby setting precedents for further intensification of these and other undesirable uses.

"This huge out-of-scale proposal for a public house would create a culturally conflicting use immediately opposite the main entrance to the cathedral possibly leading to intimidation of cathedral users by younger patrons of the pub, especially on weekend evenings.

"It is also likely to create a significant increase in noise, vandalism and litter nuisance. The cathedral already has a problem from both litter, including condoms, needles, bottles and cans, and vandalism on a Saturday night.

"This proposal would dramatically exacerbate these problems."