Swish new plans to convert office building in one of Preston’s poshest addresses

Plans have been submitted to change a former solicitors' headquarters off Winckley Square, into 10 "high quality” one-bed flats as part of the council's booming City Living Strategy.

If approved, the scheme, which will include a two-storey extension to the rear, will be the latest conversion to bring many of the city centre's old buildings back to residential occupation after decades of business use.

The double-fronted property - Nos 9 and 10 Chapel Street - was originally built in around 1810 as two town houses, just yards from the majestic Winckley Square and gardens, widely regarded as one of the finest examples of a Georgian square in the UK and the poshest part of Preston in its day.

The building has been vacant since the BSG law firm moved to smaller premises more than two years ago. Attempts to sell the building for offices - with a guide price of around £300,000 - attracted "little interest."

Planning consultants Urban Future say many companies are now re-assessing their office needs following radical changes in the way they operate following Covid.

"The restrictions on office-based working due to COVID-19 have made businesses rethink the space they need, with nearly half of UK enterprises with office space planning to shrink their estates within the next five years," says a report submitted to the city council's planning department.

"The freedom afforded by working from home, according to the research of 1,000 business leaders, is set to permanently alter the way they work. Nearly half of enterprises with office space plan to downsize by the end of 2025, and one in seven have already done so since the pandemic began.

"It is estimated that about 18 million square feet of office space will become obsolete in the next five years, accounting for 18 per cent of all currently occupied square footage."

The company says that after consultation with the council, the scheme for Chapel Street was reduced from 12 flats to 10 "as a consequence of a significant reduction in the size of the proposed rear extension."

It adds: "The demand for offices has been in decline since Covid-19 restrictions have forced many people to work remotely to mitigate the spread of the virus. But even after the re-opening of the economy, a majority of employees prefer flexible arrangements to continue.

"There is an abundance of vacant office accommodation currently available to let within a half a mile radius of the application site. Much of this available provision is of a higher quality and more modern compared with the application site.

"Permitting the change of use would in no way hinder the council’s ability to cater for office floor space requirements, especially as only one floor of the building was ever in use for active office use with other remaining floors as underutilised storage or vacant."

The property sits within Zone One of the Winckley Square Conservation Area. The developer is planning to make a number of changes to convert the building into 10 separate apartments, including the construction of a "modest" two-storey rear extension above an existing single storey addition. But the company stresses that the front of the building facing on to Chapel Street will not be altered.