Build for 44 affordable homes in Ribbleton at former St Joseph’s Social Club voted through

It was despite a residents group calling for developers, MCI Developments and Jigsaw Homes Group, to allow for green space at the site of the former St Joseph’s Social Club and bowling green.

Coun Martyn Rawlinson, chairman of Friends of Fishwick and St Matthews residents group who lodged his opposition to the proposals at the meeting today, said: “Our Neighbourhood Development Plan has been completely ignored. There were no attempt by the applicant to consult with the community.

“We are not happy. The group are not objecting to the loss of a community asset, only to the loss of the green space.

“It is the most built up, densely populated deprived area in the city. There’s no reason not to allocate a small area of green space in the development.”

However, while the planning meeting was briefly adjourned for officers to ask the developers if they were able to include an area of green space on the site, the request come back negative.

Officers returned to the meeting to say that William Fulster of MCI Developments had explained that if there was to be green space on the site, delivering the 100 per cent affordable houses would not be possible financially.

Speaking at the meeting William Fulster told the development committee: "This is an important next step in bringing in future affordable developments into Preston.

"The entire scheme will be for affordable homes. Preston currently doesn't have a five year land supply and this scheme will help address the current under provision of affordable homes.

“Jigsaw has secured £1.54m from Homes England to deliver the scheme.”