REVELLERS in Hyndburn may soon be able to raise a glass in memory of the Accrington Pals.

A new Pals-themed bar will open on the site of the former Liberty Menswear in Blackburn Road, Accrington, if planners give permission.

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Proposals lodged with the council show 12 jobs would be created.

Local businessman Michael Long — who is also a director at The Arcade Bar in Accrington and Printing Village in Great Harwood and runs his own entertainments company — wants to revitalise the town-centre nightlife while commemorating the Pals.

The Pals are probably the best remembered of the battalions raised in the early months of the First World War in response to Lord Kitchener’s call for a volunteer army.

He said: “We are refurbishing the bar at the minute.

“The main wall in there will be about the Pals.

“We will serve our own Accrington Pals beer, and we will have charity boxes for Help For Heroes.

“The work is costing around £30,000 to £35,000.

“The plans have gone to the council for the change of use so hopefully there will be no objections.

“It should bring a lot of people into the town and it should boost the nightlife, especially with the main club in Blackburn shutting down.”

The proposed new bar would open from 9am until midnight from Mondays to Fridays, from 9am until 2am on Saturdays, and from 11am until 11pm on Sundays and bank holidays.

The applicant company, No Limits NW Limited, is run by Mr Long and two business partners. The bar would employ two full-time and ten part-time staff, although the 100 sq m premises is not big enough to include a kitchen, so food would not be served.

The venue’s size could increase in years to come, depending on plans for the rest of the building.

Mr Long said two upper floors of the building remain vacant.

But he said that if the landlord changes his mind about converting those floors into flats, the business could later expand.

Mr Long said: “If anyone has any memorabilia, such as pictures, they want to contribute in memory of the Accrington Pals, we could scan them and drop the originals back off.

“Everybody in Accrington knows about the Pals. We want this to be good for the town.”

Send an email to Mr Long at info@printingvillage.co.uk if you want to contribute memorabilia.

The planning documents will be examined by officers at Hyndburn Borough Council. A decision is due in the near future.