Out-of-use Fulwood care home could be turned into 23 new homes

A bid has been launched to build almost two dozen new homes close to a busy motorway junction in Preston.

The estate has been proposed for land currently occupied by the former Greyrigg Care Home, off Eastway in Fulwood. The site lies in the shadow of the Broughton interchange, where the M55 meets the A6, near the M6.

The distinctive – and disused – red brick building can be seen by passing traffic from the height of the motorway, although dense trees surround the perimeter of the site closest to the westbound entry slip road which borders it.

All of the existing premises on the plot – including a detached bungalow – would be demolished to make way for the 23 new properties proposed. A standalone application to flatten the bungalow and build four dwellings in its place was rejected 20 years ago.

The outline proposal now on the table does not reveal the size or style of the houses planned – nor a definitive layout for the development.

However, documents submitted to Preston City Council planners state that the number of homes suggested would be able to “fit comfortably within the site”, even if they were “predominantly detached”.

The planning statement adds that the development would not require the felling of an “unacceptable quantity of trees” – but acknowledges that some would be lost around the access point for safety reasons.

As a result of the noise emanating from the surrounding road network, “good acoustic design” is recommended in order to protect back gardens from disturbance, while “higher specification glazing” may be required on the properties themselves.

The application describes the derelict care home as not being fit for re-use and notes that the site is split between an area earmarked for development in Preston’s local plan and another which is already considered to be residential.

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