A BUSINESSMAN has slammed a decision that means he will have to rip out recently-installed uPVC windows.

Steven Frisby bought the former Lloyds Bank in Croft Street, Darwen, last year and spent £200,000 renovating it.

As part of the renovations he removed old window frames to install new white uPVC ones.

The building now houses furniture shop Jack’s Discount Store.

But Blackburn with Darwen planning department said he must remove the frames because the building is in a conservation area.

Mr Frisby appealed the council’s order but the decision has been up held by the Planning Inspectorate.

A furious Mr Frisby said he would be taking his future business plans out of Darwen as a result.

He said: “We had one or two ideas for Darwen but I’m not going to bother any more as I am sick of this council. I spent £200,000 ren- ovating a derelict building and removed horrible old windows to replace them with new ones.

“They are now going to twist the knife and make me spend up to £10,000 replacing them.

“I haven’t got the money to be doing things like this.

“We were looking at a shop in Market Street but I can’t bring myself to go through all this again.

“I’m just going to let it stand empty now and go and buy a shop in Wigan.”

Darwen councillor Paul Browne, who slammed the council’s decision in August, said he was ‘disgusted’.

He said: “I was disappointed with the planning officer’s recommendation, esspecially when there are other businesses in the conservation area who have done the same and they haven’t said anything to them.

“It will make people think again about setting up businesses in Darwen.”

Sunnyhurst councillor Brian Taylor said: “We have got to consider that the council and private businesses have spent more than £2million on the conservation area.

“It wouldn’t be fair to them to allow plastic windows to spoil the whole ambience of that area.

“We want to make Darwen an attractive market town for people to come and shop in. As it stands, that building sends out all the wrong signals.”