Part of Grade-II listed St Joseph’s Orphanage to be demolished after fire

Fire damage is extensive across the St Joseph’s site which is derelict Pic: Blog Preston

A section of St Joseph’s Orphanage will be demolished after the latest fire to hit the endangered building this week.

Crews from Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service were called to the Grade-II building on Mount Street on Monday night (4 November) and remained on the scene to work on making safe the third major blaze to hit the site in two years.

Lancashire Constabulary would later confirm that they are treating the incident as arson.

The building has been in a state of disrepair for several years with daily debris clearance required at the site despite planning permission being granted for work to begin to convert the site into apartments as far back as 2020.

Preston City Council said it served a ‘community protection notice’ on the building – owned by Zimrock Ltd – earlier this year.

Now, Preston City Council has confirmed to Blog Preston that pitched roofs, chimney breasts and gables will all need to be demolished to make the building safe.

In addition to this, an assessment of the arched lintel on the top window at the south section will need to take place.

Preston City Council said that this section of the site was due to be demolished ‘at some point’ due to the existing planning permission.

Mount Street remains closed off to traffic and there is no access for pedestrians due to the demolition work and barriers which are up.

The approval for the redevelopment of St Joseph’s Orphanage came in 2020 and, if completed, it would see five of the existing buildings demolished.

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