Former Conservative MP Jake Berry's Office to Transform into Taxi Hub

The former Darwen office of ex-Conservative MP Sir Jake Berry is set to be transformed into a taxi booking hub after receiving planning approval.

The premises, located on Railway Road, will be converted into a taxi control office with no public access.

This move marks a significant change for the building, which previously served as a constituency office for Sir Jake Berry until his defeat in the July 2024 General Election.

Planning Permission Granted for Conversion

The planning application, submitted by Waseem Hussain, was approved by Blackburn with Darwen Council, with two conditions attached.

The conversion plan was given the green light after it was confirmed that the office would not serve the public directly. Instead, it will operate as an online taxi booking service, primarily managed through an app.

There will be no physical access for customers to visit the office, which is expected to minimize disruptions to the surrounding area.

The former office, a single-storey stone-built structure, has been vacant since Sir Jake’s departure from the office.

A planning officer's report mentioned that the building is adjacent to a three-storey property on the west side of Railway Road and is situated within Darwen’s town centre conservation area.

However, due to the nature of the intended use, the office is unlikely to impact the local environment significantly.

Previous Use and Proposed Operations

The premises, which were last used as a constituency office by Sir Jake, have also previously operated as a taxi booking office for over a decade. During that time, there were no reported conflicts with the local amenities or businesses.

The new plan involves using the building for a minicab booking service, which will employ one full-time staff member to manage the operation. The office will not be a typical public-facing taxi office, but rather a back-end hub for coordinating bookings through an online platform.

Local Impact and Community Response

The proposal for a new taxi hub has been met with little opposition from the local community, as it is seen as a low-impact business that will not disrupt the surrounding area. The development has been welcomed as a practical reuse of the space, which had been vacant since Sir Jake’s departure from politics.

While the former office of Sir Jake Berry is no longer serving as a political centre, its conversion into a taxi booking hub demonstrates the ongoing adaptation of commercial properties in response to changing community needs.