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Tithebarn: Full scale of resistance revealed
The true level of opposition against the £700m rebirth of Preston can be revealed.
Precise details of how developers want to renovate 37 acres of the city centre have been laid bare – two days before planning chiefs meet to debate the proposals.
In a 324-page plan for Preston's shopping, transport and leisure future, the Preston Tithebarn Partnership – made up of developers Grosvenor and Lendlease – has put forward its case for the large-scale demolition which will make way for a John Lewis department store, new bus station and a host of new shops, plus apartments and a revamped market.
But the much-debated 700m plans have been met with a string of comments – for and against – which can be unveiled for the first time.
Local authorities in Blackburn and Blackpool have already launched stiff opposition and are ready to take their contest all the way to a costly public inquiry.
And others have joined the list of opponents, many against the loss of the 30-year-old bus station.
The 16-member planning committee will meet at the Town Hall from 10am on Wednesday and at the same time on Tuesday July 14.
But the Lancashire Evening Post can now lift the lid on the extent of resistance across Lancashire and beyond.
A string of organisations have objected to the plans, which include knocking down the 30-year-old bus station.
Some even urge the council NOT to approve the plans.
The Victorian Society has branded the development "characterless," saying it would be "highly damaging to Preston's historic environment".
And the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) has urged the council not to grant planning permission due to the "monolithic nature of many of the blocks which appear to bring back a 1960s approach".
The Twentieth Century Society "strongly objects" to the demolition of the bus station, "a rare and irreplaceable piece of 20th century architecture."
In addition to objections from Blackpool and Blackburn, councils in Fylde, Wyre and Pendle have contested the plans for a variety of reasons including loss of trade.
But Preston Council says "the proposals will not have a significantly detrimental impact on either the existing city centre or any other centres in Lancashire, including Blackburn and Blackpool".
English Heritage says Tithebarn "represents a momentous opportunity for Preston", although it is concerned it is "very inward-looking" and has been "strongly led by retail and highway requirements".
Read our special two-page report - and find out what the experts think - about Tithebarn in Monday's Lancashire Evening Post
>> Tithebarn uncertainty will create 'ghost town'
>> Tithebarn development unearths Preston past
>> Vote in our latest web poll
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Weather for Preston
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -6 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: -2 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
