A NEW cafe is being planned at Blackburn’s newest business centre.

The Freckleton Business Centre off Wainwright Way is now fully operational and is slowly welcoming businesses back after a four-month lockdown.

The dilapidated building was transformed into a modern enterprise centre and boasts 21 offices, a conference room and meeting rooms. It also features multi-faith rooms and now plans have been revealed for a new café.

Business centre manager Koolsum Dudha said the coronavirus pandemic had affected many local businesses. She said: “It has clearly been a tough few months for local businesses but you have to remain positive.

“The business centre has welcomed back a number of businesses and staff with some companies phasing in their teams over the next month. It is good to be getting back to some sort of normality.

“We are now fully operational as a business centre and we presently have 15 of the 21 offices occupied with solicitor firms, a web company and a recruitment consultants among others. The offices all include air conditioning and high speed internet access. The centre also boasts a number of meeting and conference rooms."

Lancashire Telegraph:

The Freckleton Business Centre

The building has gone through a huge transformation. Koolsum said: “This building is clearly unrecognisable to what it was last year.

“The new road layout with traffic going both ways along St Peter's Street has helped us and the area significantly.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

The new café, which could create up to six jobs, will be open to centre users and the public.

Koolsum said: “The Chaii Caffé will be in an adjoining part of the building and will be offering food, drink and sandwiches.

“We are a few months away from opening and potentially it could be open seven days a week. The pandemic has slowed down renovations but hopefully things will move on this year.”