A former sports hall just off Winckley Square could be turned into flats.

Garden Street has the former Cardinal Newman sports hall in it but plans in early 2018 were thrown out for being ‘alien’.

Now architects have tabled new plans by Mustak Bhailok’s Northern Estates to try and get plans through.

The new scheme for the building would see it demolished and replaced with a nine-storey block of 65 flats.

In 2018 the rejected scheme was a six-storey building with 41 flats.

1618 architects write: “With the vast majority of the surrounding buildings being with red brick, our proposed scheme will provide residential accommodation that will be to a modern accessible and inclusive standard and provide good living conditions for future occupiers whilst also maintaining the area’s visual context.

“With Preston undergoing a long term regeneration process, a modern aesthetic has been applied to the upper floors of the proposal. By being in a conservation area, it is the scheme’s aim to respect the surrounding
architectural aesthetic.

“As seen in this document, the scheme takes precedent from various built examples which have also adopted a modern design whilst also respecting their industrial heritage surroundings.”

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The former sports hall has a long planning history, with previous schemes in 2007 and 2010, failing to be built after securing approval.

Read more: This could soon be Preston’s second-tallest building

You can see the full proposals on the city council website.

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