Darwen Jubilee Tower: 'Urgent repairs' to Victorian building approved

The tower was built to mark Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee

A plan to make "urgent repairs" to a Grade-II listed landmark in Lancashire has been backed by the local council.

The £280,000 proposals for Jubilee Tower in Darwen were recommended for approval by Blackburn with Darwen's planning committee on Thursday.

They would see rainwater pipes, signs, glazing and doors repaired, plaques put on the observation deck and a new upper landing added.

The work will be funded by Darwen Rotary Club and the Darwen Town Deal.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed that a report by planning officers found "urgent repair works" were required "to prevent further deterioration" and "ensure the tower remains accessible for the public to enjoy".

"Given the exposed nature of the tower, the proposed repair works will protect the structure... from the weather and the damage from water ingress [but] will not harm the significance of the listed building," it added.

As the building is a listed structure, the final approval for the scheme rests with the Communities and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick.

The octagonal tower on Beacon Hill, which overlooks the town, was completed in 1898 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and celebrate the victory of a local campaign which granted people the right to access the surrounding moor.