Two apartment blocks, a community centre and shops in a new development on the site of a former Preston pub look set to go ahead.

The Sumners was demolished in Autumn 2018 and in November last year plans were put in for the site off Watling Street Road on the Deepdale and Fulwood border.

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Two new buildings would go up on the land, the first a four-storey building including two ground-floor units which could be used for retail or a variety of purposes. A community centre is also included within this part of the development.

Above these units would be 24 apartments, according to documents lodged by PWA Planning.

A second building would be between four to five stories high and include 53 apartments.

40 of the 87 flats would be one-bedroom and 37 would be two-bedroomed.

Access to the Sumners site would be via Sir Tom Finney Way and Watling Street Road.

The developers have included 90 parking spaces and 80 covered cycling spaces.

Preston City Council’s chief executive Adrian Phillips is to decide the plans in the absence of a meeting of the planning committee which is suspended due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Council planning officers have recommended the scheme for approval.

It follows an application in June 2018 for a two-storey community centre to be built on the site, along with apartments and shops in two other buildings. The community centre element of the new scheme has been scaled back after the plans were withdrawn in June last year.

Lancashire County Council’s highways department has not objected to the scheme although they have made a number of recommendations for the scheme.

Six letters of objection from nearby residents have been made.

Read more: Tenants looking for new homes as two sheltered housing schemes in Preston to close

Planning officers write, in recommending the Sumners plans for approval: “Following amendments to the scheme, the development would not result in any unacceptable impacts upon highway safety, visual amenity, residential amenity, and no harm to heritage assets has been identified. Any harm arising to residential amenity, flood risk, ecology, trees and from potential contamination could be mitigated by conditions.

“The proposed development would seek to minimise waste and would be energy efficient. The applicant has demonstrated through a viability appraisal that no affordable housing provision should be sought, as this would affect the viability of the scheme.”

The city council’s chief executive is due to decide on the plans on Thursday 7 May.

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