Do you remember the old Weights and Measures Office building on Bow Lane in Preston? Well, it’s been demolished.

The old building is making way for the new Preston Youth Zone. A safe, attractive, accessible and affordable youth facility, providing the widest possible range of exciting, positive activities and opportunities for local young people. Available to young people aged 8 to 21 years it will focus on the engagement of those who are vulnerable, disadvantaged or otherwise ‘hard-to-reach’.

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The centre will include climbing walls, IT facilities, a chill-out zone and outdoor sports facilities.

Lancashire County Council and partners have covered 40% of the running costs, the local business community will cover 50%, and fees from children and young people will provide 10%.

County Councillor Geoff Driver, said: “In common with every other council in the country, we are dealing with significant financial challenges. However, the county council’s investment in Preston Youth Zone+, along with the development of 10 other youth zones in the county, demonstrates our firm commitment to providing the highest quality of facilities for young people.

“This project is a superb example of the public, private and voluntary sectors working in close partnership on an initiative that will benefit our community. I am confident that, once it’s up and running, the Youth Zone+ will make an enormous difference to the lives of thousands of young people in Preston and surrounding areas.

“Young people from the Preston and Lancashire Youth Councils have been involved from the outset with the development of this project. They have worked with a professional team to ensure that it delivers what young people want to the highest possible specifications.”

Previously, the building housed the Headstart Pre-school centre and Lancashire County Council Creche and Nursery. Happily they relocated across Preston to Herschell Street.

The Weights and Measures Office, seen in the pitures here, was built around 1968 with residential flats above (addressed as Markland Street).

The office was handy for the Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market which opened in 1967 and also sited on Bow Lane.