The owners of a much-loved Blackburn doggy day care centre have said it was with an “incredibly heavy heart” as they announced the closure of the facility.

Just Pawing Around, in Stockclough Lane, opened in 2020, but cited issues with the landowner and other matters beyond the business's control, they have been given one month’s notice to leave.

The owners added that the staff who work there are devastated, and if continuing was an option, they would do so “without hesitation”.

Posting on Facebook, the company said: “It is with incredibly heavy hearts that we share some very sad news with you all today.

“This decision has not come lightly, nor is it one we ever wanted to make. We opened our doors back in 2020, right in the middle of Covid, and despite the uncertainty of that time, we pushed through with passion, resilience, and an overwhelming love for the dogs in our care.

“Over the years, we’ve grown together, welcomed so many incredible dogs, built lasting bonds, and created a community that we are so incredibly proud of. To say this place means the world to us is truly an understatement.

“Unfortunately, this situation is entirely out of our hands. Every single dog that has walked through our gates holds a special place in our hearts, and saying goodbye will be incredibly hard.

“While our doors may be closing, we truly hope this isn’t the end of our connection.”

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The owners have said that they knew how important day-care was for the dogs who used it, and that they were there to support users through the transition.

They added that users will be guided towards other daycares in the area.

A spokesperson added: “We kindly ask for your patience and understanding as we navigate this incredibly emotional time. Although this chapter is coming to an end, we promise that this final month will still be filled with love, care, cuddles, and as much fun as ever.

“Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for trusting us with your dogs and for being such an amazing community.”

Blackburn has been branded the “UK’s poorest town” after a report found people there have less money in their pockets than anywhere else in the country.

New figures show Blackburn has the lowest disposable income per head in the UK (£15,200 compared with £27,200 in London), with more than half of its neighbourhoods ranked among the most income‑deprived.

The stark label comes from Centre for Cities’ Cities Outlook 2026 report, which warns that a “lost generation” has grown up in places like Blackburn where wages lag behind and too many households are stuck on low incomes while facing high bills.

Blackburn with Darwen is now ranked the 11th most deprived local authority in England overall, with more than a third of its neighbourhoods in the 10 per cent most deprived.

Council figures show fuel poverty, benefit reliance and low pay are all higher here than the national average, and the area has long struggled with low economic activity. For many families, every bill rise bites.​

Yet the picture on the ground is arguably a lot more complicated than a single grim headline.

Alongside the hardship are signs of a town that is still trying to move forwards, businesses are thriving, and a place that many residents are proud to call their own.

Walk through the centre of Blackburn and you can already see parts of the £250 million regeneration plan taking shape.

Old buildings are being bought up and refurbished, and the council has pulled in around £125m of levelling up and other funding to try to kick‑start growth and attract better‑paid jobs.

Centre for Cities, which highlighted Blackburn’s low incomes, has also pointed to the town’s “ambitious” city‑centre redevelopment and says the up‑to‑date local plan and active investment strategy set it apart from many struggling places.

The idea is to build on what Blackburn already has, its college, its central sites, its role as a hub for surrounding towns, rather than pin everything on yet another doomed retail scheme.

For all the headlines, Blackburn is not a place without assets.

Its cathedral is one of England’s newest, but on a site of worship for over a thousand years, dominating the town centre with a striking lantern tower, modern art and regular concerts and exhibitions.

A short walk away, Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery offers everything from local history to Japanese prints and an Egyptian mummy, and crucially, it is free to visit.

Green space is another quiet strength.

Witton Country Park and the surrounding West Pennine Moors give residents miles of paths, bike trails and views, a world away from the “forgotten mill town” image.

On match days, Ewood Park still throbs with noise as Blackburn Rovers fans stream through the turnstiles, while venues such as King George’s Hall, Blackburn Empire Theatre and Darwen Library Theatre bring live music, comedy and drama into the borough.

Add in independent shops and cafes, heritage churches and a growing programme of cultural events, and it is clear why many people bristle at the idea that Blackburn can be written off as simply the “poorest”.

The statistics are real, and serious, but they sit alongside a town where people are still investing time, money and hope in making something better.

Is there more to Blackburn than the label of 'UK's poorest town'? Let us know in the comments.

One of Blackburn’s most famous town centre venues has undergone major renovations.

The Dahna Lounge in Barton Street is located opposite the Reel Cinemas complex and has reopened to the public following a £300,000 redevelopment.

The site was completely gutted, with work going on since March last year.

The building was formerly the Malt and Hops Pub and opened as the Dahna Lounge in 2011.

It was the first building in the area to undergo a redevelopment at the time, bringing back to life what had been a dilapidated pub.

Over the past 15 years, the area has seen major developments.

When the Dahna Lounge first opened, Waves was still making a splash and work on Blakey Moor terrace was years away.

As well as new Blackburn College buildings, there is ongoing work on the Victoria Building and King George’s Hall.

Close by, eight new restaurants and cafes have opened in King William Street and Sudell Cross in the past seven years.

A spokesperson for the Dahna Lounge said: “We were the first to take a chance in the area, and since then, there have been some major projects.

“I would like to think we were the first to kick-start the district.”

The renovations saw the building renovated, with the interior revamped and a new frontage installed.

Inside, in the 150-seater restaurant diners can watch a 175-inch TV and relax on custom-made furniture.

Whilst the Dahna is classed as a Shisha restaurant, it has become famous for its food, with diners now travelling some distance to the restaurant to sample the menu.

The spokesperson added: “It has been nine months of hard work, and we are delighted that people love the new look.

“We wanted to go with something a little more low-key but at the same time give the interior an original look that was elegant, classic and modern.

“There is new furniture, flooring and a ceiling with the whole area completely renovated from scratch.

“We have had new additions to the menu and are proud of the fact that people are travelling far and wide just to have the food.

“Over the new year, we have welcomed visitors from Manchester and London as well as people from across the North West.”

A new Blackburn town centre restaurant is on the way in a former insurance office.

Zeshan Khan can now convert the site in Darwen Street into a restaurant employing three staff.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has granted planning permission for the change of use of the former Riding Insurance office, with the installation of an extraction flue to the rear of the premises.

However, planners have put restrictions on the site banning it from selling food to be taken away, and restrictions have been put on opening hours.

A planning officer’s report recommending approval with five conditions says: “The application site is a mid-terrace commercial property situated on the western side of Darwen Street, Blackburn.

“The host building is located within the Darwen Street Conservation Area.

"Planning permission is sought for a change of use of the existing retail shop to a restaurant.

“At ground floor, it will comprise a restaurant area for customers with a counter, food cooking area, and a back area for the kitchen/washing area and a food prep area.

“At first floor, there will be a storage room and a staff room. The proposal also includes the installation of an extraction flue to the rear.

“The application site is located within the primary shopping area.

“Therefore, the proposal is consistent with the Local Plan, which supports development involving main town centre uses, and goes on to add ‘protecting and enhancing the leisure offer and developing an evening economy’.

“Support is offered for a mix of complementary uses and seeks to guard against cumulative impacts arising from a concentration of similar uses, i.e. hot food takeaways, betting offices and amusement arcades within a particular area.

“The proposal seeks the change of use to a restaurant, and no conflict arises with the above policy requirement.

“This being said, a condition will be attached to the decision to ensure that no food is sold for consumption away from the site.

“Given the changing use to a restaurant, it seems reasonable to control the hours of opening, given the identified relationship to neighbour residential uses.

“As such, to protect amenity from any excessive noise disturbance associated with the extraction flue and general activity from people in the early morning/late night, a condition is to be attached to restrict the hours of use from 12pm to 11pm.

“The proposed change of use would retain an active commercial use at the ground floor level, which is consistent with the historic and prevailing character of the conservation area.

“The site is located in the town centre core and close to on-street parking opportunities and public car parks.”

A long-delayed £8.85 million project to rebuild a historic Blackburn town centre church destroyed by fire in 2019 will start this summer, with the aim of completion in 2028.

The scheme will repurpose the ruins of the place of worship as a digital business and creative innovation hub.

St John’s Church, a Grade II heritage-listed building located in a prominent position on the corner of Ainsworth Street and Richmond Terrace, has stood empty since a fire gutted the property in April 2019, with flames visible across the town.

On Thursday, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s ruling executive board will give the go-ahead for the rebuild and appoint Nelson-based Barnfield Construction Ltd as the main contractor for the project.

The progress has been welcomed by Livesey with Pleasington ward Conservative Cllr Derek Hardman, a former choirboy at the church.

He said: “Having raised my concerns on a number of occasions regarding the lack of action on restoring St John's, its great to see the work to restore this historic church is finally happening.

“I remember as a choir boy the older buildings being demolished in the town centre while St John's with its graveyard stood proud as a symbol of Blackburn's history.”

The former St John’s Church was built in 1787, and continued in active worship until 1975, at which time the building was transferred to the council from the Church Commissioners for England and was used to support local civic functions, and in later years was used as a community centre for organised events.

The report to Thursday’s meeting of senior councillors says: “The St John’s building has stood empty since a fire engulfed the property in April 2019, causing significant damage.

“Following the fire, the council agreed an insurance settlement with Zurich and established a project plan to progress a scheme to redevelop the building and bring it back into use.

“The council appointed OMI Architects, an award-winning design practice with experience in modernising historic buildings, to progress designs for the redevelopment, with planning approval eventually obtained in November 2023.

“The redevelopment proposals create high-specification flexible workspaces through repair, restoration and refurbishment works.

“The development of a new St John’s Business Centre will focus on digital businesses forming a new creative hub to promote emerging opportunities, including the new Blackburn Skills Campus and the wider Business Innovation District, the largest development opportunity of its kind in the Lancashire region, and a key strategic initiative in our Local Plan and the Growth Plan for the Lancashire Combined County Authority.

“The contractor will commence mobilisation in March 2026, with works planned to commence in summer 2026 with an 18-month build and fit-out programme.

“The redevelopment will be complete early 2028 and operational by summer 2028.

“The council agreed a financial settlement with Zurich of £3.75m for damage sustained during the fire in April 2019, and further notes that the net balance after costs resulted in a sum of £3.54m being set aside for the project.

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“From the original funding allocation of £3.54m, the project costs to date are £800,000.

“The council received a grant of £4m for the project from the Lancashire Combined County Authority.

“A budget of £1m from the Government’s Pride in Place Programme (the former Levelling-Up Partnership fund) was provisionally set aside for the Bridge House refurbishment project.

“It is now expected this project will be funded from existing Section 106 funding, and therefore £800,000 can be reallocated to the project.

“The project funding will require transfers from existing capital schemes totalling £510,000.

“There may be future revenue implications associated with the start-up phase of the new business centre.”