Church 'must make way for tower'
A Preston church faces demolition to make way for what would be one of the city's tallest buildings.
The new 12-storey block is planned for the site of a former motorbike showroom and Preston City Mission church, near the junction of Ringway and Corporation Street.
It will include 55, five-bedroom student flats, bars, restaurants and a room for the church.
The all-wooden church building, which has stood on Corporation Street since 1900, would be demolished. Developers Kubic Design have also scaled down plans for a Premier Inn and city centre flats on the nearby Fox Street car park which will now be a stand-alone hotel with a ground floor restaurant and shops.
Previously plans for a nine-storey glass tower, including a hotel and flats on the site, were passed by Preston Council's planning committee last summer.
In its application, the developer said: "This site is in a pivotal point between Preston city centre and the University of Central Lancashire in a highly visual location on the ring road.
"The scheme covered by this application is part of a larger plan to provide a full development on a currently under-utilised and under-appreciated site."
It added the plan was to build up the development over two phases, starting with a hotel before building a "forward-looking, statement of intent", which would include room for the Mission church.
The application added: "The ground floor will house updated accommodation for the existing mission, retaining this important function in its longstanding location, while bringing the accommodation up to modern standards."
A spokesman for the mission church said it had been discussing the future of the site with the developers but declined to comment further on the scheme.
John Waddingham, of estate agents Garside Waddingham on nearby Fleet Street, said he was aware of the resubmission which he said was "an adaptation of the former plans" which were passed by council planners last summer.
It had been hoped work would have started on that site by the end of last year but work has been delayed due to changes in the plans.
Mr Waddingham said: "We know the development is coming close to our building, but at the moment we have not been told it will affect us in any other way."
PREVIOUS STORIES:
City landmarks on the horizon
City hotel sold before it is even built
>> Vote in our latest web poll
Email to a friend
Print this page - Popular
- Most comments
- Most shared
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Local pages
Looking for a...
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Preston
Thursday 29 July 2010
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 15 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 28 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 15 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South
