Winckley Square is a haven for office workers during the summer lunchtimes

Apathy has greeted a plan for conserving Preston’s Georgian jewel in the crown – Winckley Square.

The city council are about to bid for more than £1 million to help bring empty properties in the Square back into use and ensure it is kept in top condition.

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But a questionnaire about the square and a consultation event on the council’s plans attracted no responses to the questionnaire and just one person attended a consultation event at the Harris Museum in February, according to a council report.

A 42-page dossier is being presented to the city council’s cabinet for approval on Thursday.

It outlines how the heritage of the Square will be maintained and improvements to the Square itself and the surrounding streets.

Funding for the improvements would come from the Heritage Lottery Fund who have already put initial funds into allowing the council to draw up the bid.

The plans include restricting the scale and size of estate agent boards on the Square.

Larger buildings such as College House which stand empty are on the hit list for council officers if the funding bid is successful.

The funding will help to bring unused buildings around Winckley Square back into use

Nigel Roberts, principal urban designer at the city council, is leading the bid and told Blog Preston in January: “The plan seeks to say what we’ll be looking to do on Winckley Square.

“It’s about working with the owners of the buildings to find ways to bring them back into use. College House is perhaps one of the best examples.

“The building sticks out like a sore thumb, and it has been vacant for a number of years. The only thing in there is water and damp, yet it is a listed building.”

If approved by the city council cabinet the bid will be submitted in late May with a decision expected in September.

You can view the full heritage plan on the council website.

Do you live or work on the Square? What do you think about the plan? Let us know in the comments below