Plans to demolish the former Whittingham Mental Asylum and build hundreds of new homes have been lodged again with Preston City Council.
AdvertisementBouyed by the resubmission of the plan to complete the Broughton bypass, developers the Homes and Communities Agency have submitted for outline planning permission to build up to 650 new homes across the 9,000 square metre site.
A previous application in 2007 was approved and the developers now want to extend the time limit on this permission which is due to lapse.
If given the nod, the work to develop the site – which includes demolishing a large chunk of the existing buildings – could start in summer 2014.
The whole scheme would take until 2024 to complete and a traffic report prepared for the city council’s planning committee explains completion of the Broughton bypass is vital for the success of the scheme.
A report states the developers want to reclaim as many bricks and other materials from the buildings to use in the new builds.
Tom Warburton, Head of Area for Lancashire and Cumbria at the HCA, said: “Whittingham Hospital is a complex site and delivery has been made more challenging by the economic downturn, but we have been working hard alongside Taylor Wimpey, Preston City Council and Lancashire County Council and have agreed the way forward. The new application is a key part of this and will help unblock development at the site. We have also secured Local Infrastructure Funding to undertake demolition work at the site to help get work progressing on the ground.”
The masterplan for the site includes a new play area, a school and offices. The developers also wish to keep the existing cricket pitch on the site.
The former mental asylum has been abandoned for years now, proving a popular spot for urban explorer photographers to enter.
Consultation on the resubmitted proposal has started, with all the surrounding parish councils asked for their views.
Whittingham Parish Council said it would be considering the application and its response to it at the next parish council meeting in December.
Anyone wishing to make comments should email devcon@preston.gov.uk or comment online at the council website. You must quote reference 06/2013/0779 by Wednesday 11 December.
What do you think? Would you want to live at Whittingham? Do you support the application? Let us know in the comments below