Preston set to get its long-awaited Youth Zone after a decade’s wait

City councillors will be asked to approve the project near to the bus station when it goes before the planning committee on Thursday.

The proposed Youth Zone will have a four-court sports hall, performance space, an all-weather sports pitch, fitness gym, kick-pitch, music room, dance studio, arts and crafts rooms, mentoring kitchen and recreation space with cafe.

And assuming it is ticked through it will bring to an end a long, frustrating struggle by youth organisations to get a much-needed hub specifically for young people in the city.

The plans, by national charity OnSide in partnership with the city council, have been recommended for approval subject to a number of conditions.

Only one objection was received to the scheme, with the complainant claiming it would lead to the area becoming "a concrete jungle." The objection also cited the removal of ancient trees on the site - a patch of land bounded by Tithebarn Street, Lord Street, Crooked Lane and Lancaster Road.

If approved it would mean the concept, designed by New York-based architects firm John Puttick Associates, will finally be built at the third attempt.

Originally Lancashire County Council earmarked a site at the rear of County Hall during the 2009-2013 Tory administration. When Labour took control in 2013 they decided the western concourse of the bus station would be better-suited to the scheme and ran a competition to design it - won by the Puttick team.

But that was abandoned in 2017 as unaffordable. Now the city council has taken over, with £5.4m coming from the Government's Towns Fund, along with a contribution towards the £1.3m it is estimated it will cost to run every year.

Those behind the a Youth Zone in the city say it will offer young people "somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to" as well as supporting their emotional wellbeing.

When funding was granted Guy Topping, chair of Preston Youth Zone board, said: “It’s hugely exciting for it to feel as though this is finally going to happen - and after waiting so long to get to this point, the Towns Fund announcement came out of the blue. It’s going to be in a great, accessible location."

The site of the proposed building is a patch of grassland opposite the bus station and next door to the old Tithebarn pub.

The aim is to attract between 1,500 and 2,000 visitors a week. It could have 20 full-time staff and 50 part-time, with opportunities for volunteer roles.

A report to be presented to the planning committee next week says: "The Youth Zone would offer a wide range of sporting, artistic, cultural, physical and recreational activities for young people aged 8 to 19 years (up to 25 years for those with additional needs). It would be open 8am-10pm every day to cater for the young people of the area.

"It is expected that between 1,500 and 2,000 children and young people will visit the Youth Zone each week and there could be up to 300 attending at any one time. The facility is expected to have a full-time workforce of approximately 20 people and approximately 50 part-time positions."