Church Street row of buildings eyed up for demolition to unlock huge new apartments scheme

Three run-down buildings in Preston city centre could be demolished to make way for a major regeneration scheme in Church Street.

Documents have been released include the demolition of existing buildings and the development of a part-four, part-eleven and part-nineteen storey building containing 280 apartments.

The site is located on the junction of Manchester Road, Church Street and Shepherd Street in Preston and is only few minutes walk from Fishergate and Preston city centre – next door to The Old Dog Inn, which dates back to the early 1700s.

Artist impression of how the new block could look in Church Street Pic: Planning documents

The units due for demolition include what was due to be the Cosmo buffet on the corner with Manchester Road and also the relocated Sandos takeaway which moved after a major fire.

The plans are set to have ground floor commercial accommodation, communal areas, cycle storage, refuse and plant storage.

231 one-bedroom and 49 two-bedroom apartments have been proposed for the development.

The rear of the section of the current block facing into Church Street which would be demolished Pic: Blog Preston

It has been suggested that brown and light grey brickwork, metal cladding, louvred panels and wetcast stone will be used on the exterior of the building as well as metal framed windows and doors.

There will be new access built for vehicles and pedestrian access as well.

150 new cycling spaces are also included on the planning application.

A date for decision on the application has not yet been set but the scale of the proposals mean it would need to go the Preston City Council’s planning committee for decision.

The Church Street area is due to benefit from the Stoneygate Masterplan in the coming years which is a framework aimed at attracting major investment into an area of the city centre which has lagged behind for decades.

If approved the 19,257 sq.m scheme is expected to start on site during Autumn 2024.

Luke Averill, Managing Director of developer TAG, said: “Preston City Centre continues to look forward and we are delighted to have submitted this planning application.

“We believe our project will contribute significantly to the long-term success of Preston, which is outlined in the transformational 15-year vision ‘Preston’s City Investment Plan (2020 – 2035)’.

“I would like to thank the professional team that have got us to this stage and also say that we are actively seeking joint venture partners for this exciting scheme.”