SENIOR councillors will press ahead with plans for a new South Asian restaurant in a major entertainment complex despite a family row over the rights for the brand ‘eastZeast’.

Blackburn with Darwen borough’s ruling executive board will tomorrow authorise the closure of Blakey’s Bar in King George’s Hall to make way for the new venture despite objections from one of the four cousins who founded the high-profile chain in Manchester in 2005.

After two days of talks with eastZeast Blackburn Ltd’s directors, council regeneration boss Phil Riley said: “I understand they have the right to use the name, subject to further legal clarification.”

This is despite complaints that the issue of branding rights had yet been fully clarified from Kabir Rayman, director of eastZeast Group (UK) Ltd, incorporated in 2015 after the original partnership split.

Mr Rayman asked the council to delay approval until legal details were ironed out. His company has well-known restaurants in Manchester, Bury, Birmingham and Preston.

Mr Ashfaq Hussain, director of eastZeast Blackburn founded earlier this year and who runs a high-profile outlet under the brand name in Kings Dock, Liverpool, said: “We can assure everyone we are still on track to open the restaurant in late Spring.”

Tomorrow night the closure of Blakey’s 200-seater eatery scheme is due to be approved along with authorisation for council officers to negotiate the terms of a 15-year lease with Mr Hussain’s company but a power for them to sign the deal has been dropped.

That will need approval at a future executive board meeting after further legal details have been provided by eastZeast Blackburn.

Cllr Riley said: “Sadly, the council has had to make the decision to recommend the closure of Blakeys as it has been operating at a loss. Staff have been offered other employment opportunities.

“Separately we are involved in on-going discussions with the proprietors of east Z east Kings Dock, Liverpool about the opening of a new restaurant in Blakeys, King George’s Hall.

“We are currently awaiting legal documentation relating to the new restaurant before we can progress next stages of the process. We are looking forward to the potential that a well-respected restaurant would bring to the town centre.”

Council Tory group leader John Slater said: “This is an absolute shambles and another typical Blackburn with Darwen Labour fiasco.

“These issues should have been sorted out months ago not at the last minute before the approval goes before the executive board.”

The five staff at Blakey’s all have new jobs.

Mr Rayman said: “We have no objection to the opening of the Blackburn restaurant but would prefer the decision delayed until the branding issues have been sorted out.”

Mr Hussain in a Facebook post explaining the background accused Mr Rayman of delaying signing the necessary legal paperwork.