New three-storey apartment plan set to replace an empty home on Liverpool Road, Penwortham

149 Liverpool Road, which is just yards from Penwortham’s bustling ‘strip’ is once again under the spotlight as developers look at ways to bring the plot back to life.

Earlier this year proposals were approved to flatten the five-bed family home, which back onto the Orchard Grange retirement complex, and replace it with a larger building of six two-bedroom flats.

But now a new plan has been tabled with South Ribble Borough Council on behalf of Swillbrook Limited to demolish the house to allow for a building containing eight apartments.

What do they want to do?

It is proposed to demolish the existing building and to erect a new three-storey building that will accommodate seven two-bedroom and one one-bedroom apartments.

The building will be finished in red brick and white render under a grey tile pitched roof to reflect the character of the area.

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An 11-space car park, to include 1 accessible space, will be located to the rear of the building, alongside a communal bin store.

Vehicular and pedestrian access to the site will continue to be taken from Liverpool Road – meaning the removal of a pine tree which is subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) as well as a younger tree elsewhere on the site.

Developers say: “The loss of these tree will be mitigated by replacement planting elsewhere within the site as part of a comprehensive landscaping scheme, which will also include the retention of some existing, and newly proposed, boundary treatments.”

How will it fit in with the street scene?

Swillbrook say the development would “make a positive contribution towards the character of the area when seen in public view”.

They add that it has been designed to be compatible with the character of the local area, adding: “Whilst the building will accommodate eight apartments arranged over three floors, it has been designed to ensure that it will appear as a detached two-storey dwelling, with all physical indicators of it comprising eight apartments (e.g. communal parking and waste storage facilities) being hidden to its rear.”

"The front elevation of the building will also be positioned closer to the Liverpool Road frontage to reflect the existing dominant building line along the street.”