Park Hotel plans lodged for two apartment blocks and hotel restored

Aerial view of the current Park Hotel site Pic: scrappyNW

Latest proposals to bring the former Park Hotel back into use have been lodged.

A 65-room hotel would be created on the site while retaining and converting the grade-II listed building that overlooks Avenham and Miller Park.

Built around the hotel would be two new apartment blocks with 354 new apartments spread across them, while 8 East Cliff would be converted into six new apartments.

How the new apartment blocks would look around the current Park Hotel Pic: Planning documents

Manchester-based The Heaton Group, who have undertaken a number of schemes across Preston city centre, are behind new plans.

The proposals for the former hotel building and 8 East Cliff include:

converting the former Park Hotel itself to have 65 bedrooms, a gym, co-working space and a ground-floor cafe and restaurant
building a new eight to 10 storey building to house 236 apartments
building a second nine-storey building to house 118 apartments
convert 8 East Cliff to be six apartments
improve access to Miller Park from the hotel
new landscaping of the whole site
putting in new car parking
new drainage and infrastructure works

The apartment blocks viewed from Miller Park Pic: Planning documents

A previous scheme in 2017 was approved to bring back to hotel into use and demolish the 1960s office block at 8 East Cliff.

Demolition of the office block took place in 2020 but no further work on the site took place as the scheme stalled due to the pandemic.

Paul Butler Associates, who have been working with the developers on the scheme, held a public information event at Brew and Bake in mid-March to give people chance to view early plans for the site.

Another artist impression of the site from Miller Park Pic: Planning documents

The hotel, which stands empty and dates back to 1883, has become a target for vandals in recent months – with pictures released showing youths roaming the abandoned site in East Cliff. Developers responded by saying security at the site had been stepped up.

A separate planning application has been lodged for listed building consent to develop the Park Hotel and 8 East Cliff which itself is also grade-II listed.

The full plans can be seen on the Preston City Council website.

What do you think of the proposals for the Park Hotel? Let us know your views in the comments below