Shop unit at Plungington being unofficially used to sell cakes to be converted into café

Approved cafe premises, Plungington Road

A Preston shop unit being unofficially used for the sale of cakes at its back door is to be converted into a café.

The tiny premises – attached to the end of a row of terrace houses on Plungington Road in Plungington – previously operated as an ironing studio, but that business has now closed.

Preston City Council has given the go-ahead to the revamp, which will see the new venture open its doors next door to an existing eatery.

Two objections were lodged to the plans, which included concerns over the impact of the conversion on nearby residents from “noise, disturbance and smells” – as well as increased traffic. The siting of two cafés alongside each other was also described by one objector as not being “good planning policy”.

However, planning officials concluded the new business – which plans to trade seven days a week from 8am until 7pm – would not have any “detrimental impact” on locals and that its opening hours would be acceptable.

A report by town hall planners also noted that “any financial implications” of two similar businesses operating next to each other were “not a material planning consideration and [have] not been taken into account”.

The document added that “non-residential use” of the site had already been established under its previous guise as an ironing studio – but acknowledged there was no permission in place for the building’s current use baking cakes and selling them “from the rear of the property”.

The approved changes include the creation of an internal seating area and two toilet facilities.

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