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Council issues statement following ‘devastating’ fires in Preston city centre

Posted on - 20th May, 2022 - 5:30pm | Author - | Posted in - Avenham, Lancashire Police, Preston City Centre, Preston Council, Preston News
Adrian Phillips
Council Chief Executive Adrian Phillips says ‘everyone is concerned’ about the fires

Preston City Council has released a statement following the recent fires in the city centre.

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Several council services are affected in the aftermath of the most recent fire, which has destroyed the former cinema and vacant nightclub in Church Street.

Read more: 14-year-old boy arrested in connection with fire that destroyed former Preston city centre nightclub

  • Avenham multi-storey car park will be closed until further notice
  • City centre waste and recycling collections, plus street cleaning, will take place as normal where access remains available; missed collections due to road closures will be re-scheduled as soon as possible
  • Driving to the Town Hall and Preston Markets is not possible via the usual routes; short stay parking is available at Tenterfield Street next to the site of the old Market Hall
  • The taxi ranks available while road closures are in place are located at Church Row, PR1 3BX or Preston Railway Station
  • Anyone unable to return to their accommodation for safety reasons can call 01772 906412 (before 5pm on Friday) or 01772 906916 for the out of hours service.
Smoke rising from behind Hopwood's Tap House Pic: @studs_up / Twitter
Smoke rising from behind Hopwood’s Tap House on Thursday Pic: @studs_up / Twitter

In the Council statement, Chief Executive Adrian Phillips said: “Everyone is concerned about the devastating effects recent fires have had on Preston city centre.

“On Thursday 19 May at approximately 8pm our Building Control and on-call team were alerted to a fire on Church Street which has caused serious damage to the former Odeon cinema and vacant Evoque nightclub.

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“Emergency services responded quickly to the incident and worked tirelessly throughout the night to contain the fire. Lancashire Fire and Rescue Services have remained on site this morning.

“Lancashire Police evacuated properties on Glovers Court and the City Council found temporary accommodation for five people affected by the fire who were unable to find other accommodation.

“Emergency demolition work is required at the site over the coming days with completion expected by Monday 23 May. It is expected that roads at the front and rear of Church Street and Syke Street will be closed until Monday afternoon. Additional road closures include Main Sprit Weind, Avenham Street, Glovers Court, and Church Street which will affect traffic movement around the city. 

“We understand the impact road closures and restricted access is having on city centre businesses, and as such this is being closely monitored and regularly reviewed. Access will be allowed as soon as it is safe to do so, and further updates will be provided by the relevant agencies.

“A multi-agency investigation into the cause of the fire will begin and we continue to work with and support the emergency services and relevant agencies on this incident.”

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