Warning that Preston’s iconic ‘fairytale castle’ hotel will be harmed by flats plan

The Victorian Society has lodged an objection to the scheme which it says will "permanently harm" the historic building which overlooks Avenham and Miller Parks.

Developers appear to have abandoned plans to restore the 140-year-old hotel to its former glory and now want to erect two blocks of flats in an 'L' shape - one between eight and 10 storeys tall and the other nine storeys high - which would tower above the eye-catching building, once likened to a fairytale Disney castle.

"The hotel site needs sensitive development as it is highly visible from the railway and surrounding listed parks and conservation areas," said the Victorian Society. "There is a precedent for further building on the site of the demolished neighbouring 60s tower block, but the current plans will harm the historic building and the surrounding area."

The former hotel, which has been a striking landmark for rail travellers approaching Preston from the south for more than a century, was acquired by Lancashire County Council's pension fund in 2016 and has stood empty since then.

The original scheme to restore it to a grand five-star hotel with 71 rooms in the main building and a further 44 in a new block next door - on the site of an old 60s office block - together with a plush banqueting suite for up to 200 diners, was approved by LCC in 2019. But a new blueprint for a 65-room apart-hotel with gym, restaurant and co-working space, plus the two new apartment blocks standing four to five storeys higher than the main building, was submitted in March this year and is currently under discussion.

Guy Newton, conservation adviser for the Victorian Society said: “Sadly, these plans will harm the historic hotel more than the demolished 60s tower did. Currently, the eye is drawn through carefully landscaped gardens upwards to the former hotel. This proposal would permanently harm the existing 19th-century relationship with the wider landscape, integral to both these early municipal parks."This would harm the setting of surrounding listed and heritage buildings. Preston Council must refuse this application and work with the developers to come back with a scheme which restores the original building and creates and new more sensitively designed accommodation. This is a once in a generation opportunity to get key site right for Preston.”

The charity, which campaigns to save Victorian architecture, says the extensions would be "overly-dominant and out-of-place" in the Avenham Conservation Area. "Any new structure should enhance the conservation area while being subservient to the former hotel's size and outline to prevent harming the historic building and surrounding listed parks."

The former Park Hotel was built in 1883 as a railway hotel catering to passengers travelling through Preston. Former guests are reported to have included the future King Edward VII, Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin and Gracie Fields. The Victorian Society says its "strategic, landmark location offers scenic views of the surrounding parklands." And it adds: "The location of the hotel is therefore extremely sensitive as it is so prominent and affects numerous other heritage assets around it."

The building closed as a hotel in 1950 and was taken over by LCC as office accommodation. The authority moved out in 2011. In a letter to Preston Council's planning department the Victorian Society says: "Our principal concerns are the lack of convincing justification provided for the height and size of the proposed extensions (blocks) to the former Park Hotel.

"The proposed extensions are considerably higher by 4-5 storeys than the former Park Hotel, extending beyond the established building line of the hotel and constructed with a material that competes and accentuates the volume of this extension rather than attempt to hide it.

"The massing of these extensions would obscure the undulating Gothic outline of the former Park Hotel from the railway line and both listed parks - a crucial view now to the composition of both these early municipal parks.

"This proposal would permanently and irrevocably harm the existing 19th-century relationship with the composed wider landscape. The application fails to preserve or enhance the historic environment, heritage assets, provide substantial public benefits, regard the character or appearance of the local area or offer a convincing or adequate justification for the scheme and the resulting harm to the designated heritage assets.

"This scheme should be rejected and the applicant worked with to develop more sensitive plans which will not harm Preston’s heritage assets to this degree."