Buyer found for Little Sisters' home

The building, set in four acres off Garstang Road, was put up for sale last year by the Little Sisters of the Poor because there are not enough nuns left in Preston to continue running the nursing home.

It had been feared the historic building had been bought by a developer, but this has been refuted.

Shaun Skidmore of marketing company CBRE Manchester, spoke on behalf of The Little Sisters of the Poor. He said: “We have agreed a sale and that is going through the due legal processes.

“I can’t say who the buyer is, but it is not for redevelopment.

“The charity has been insistent that the building remains as a care facility, and that can take a bit more time.

“What usually happens is that you reach the stage of exchange of contract, and then the new owner has to start a Care Quality Commission application. This is taking around 12 weeks at the moment.”

No details of price have been publicly announced.

The building was constructed in 1880 and comprises 39 operational bedrooms, 15 staff bedrooms, a chapel, doctor’s surgery, common areas, tea room and conservatory. Five outbuildings provide added residential accommodation.

The Little Sisters are the third order of nuns to announce they are quitting Preston and Leyland in the past 18 months.

The Winckley Square nuns ended 162 years in Preston in October 2015 and the Sisters of Our Lady of Missions closed down their Leyland base in February last year after 68 years in the town.