Preston city centre apartment block branded unsafe and fire risk

35 Glovers Court has been branded as unsafe to live in Pic: Blog Preston

A new apartment block in Preston city centre has been declared off limits by health and safety experts.

35 Glovers Court has seen all tenants and residents forced to move out in recent months after Preston City Council declared the building unsafe and a fire risk in enforcement notices delivered to the developers.

Blog Preston understands it is now months of being effectively homeless for those affected and facing uncertain financial times as mortgages they had approved may lapse. It’s understood people had to start moving out in November last year, with many unable to move in at all and now facing waits in temporary accommodation and trapped in a limbo on when their flats will be ready.

Glovers Court Limited – who are behind the development in the former Booths warehouse in Glovers Court – are also facing enforcement action from the Health and Safety Executive over a visit to their construction site on 26 June and 27 June found multiple safety breaches.

The building, which gained planning permission in 2018 is made up of 34 apartments. It had originally been due to be more than 50 apartments but was scaled back.

35 Glovers Court – has 34 apartments within it Pic: Blog Preston

In a joint statement by Preston City Council, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and The Health and Safety Executive, released to Blog Preston, they said: “The regulatory bodies are involved in individual legal investigations in relation to the conversion of 35 Glovers Court to 34no. apartments.

“We wholly understand and sympathise with the interested parties currently inconvenienced as a result of the building being prohibited from use. However, whilst these investigations are still being undertaken, we cannot release any further details other than what is already publicly available i.e. the Prohibition Orders issued by Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service on 18 May 2023.

“Preston City Council’s Building Control team can confirm that a Regularisation application has been received from Glovers Court Limited (GCL) in relation to the remedial works and are working alongside the client and their appointed contractors to ensure compliance with The Building Regulations 2010.

“The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have taken enforcement action against GCL following an inspection of their construction site on 26 & 27 June 2023.

“HSE is liaising with GCL to ensure compliance with Health & Safety legislation. While this investigation work continues, HSE cannot share any further information. HSE continue to work with colleagues from Lancashire Fire & Rescue and Preston City Council Building Control to ensure work is carried out without risks to the health and safety of those on site and others who may be affected.

“As an when we are able, we will of course provide more details but unfortunately at this moment in time, we cannot.”

Documents on the HSE website show an improvement notice was issued on 8 November last year to Glovers Court Limited stating they were “not adequately planning, managing and monitoring the construction phase at the above address to ensure work is carried out without risks to health and safety because you have not appointed a site manager with the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and training to fulfil the role.”

A further enforcement notice brands the site as being a fire risk as adequate safety features are not installed.

Blog Preston made a number of approaches to developers involved in the scheme to clarify when remedial works would be completed but received no response by the time of publication.

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