Plans to demolish former A Touch of Spice Indian restaurant in Broughton lodged

Contractor Ashworth Demolition has notified Preston City Council (PCC) that it will be tearing down A Touch of Spice in Garstang Road.

It comes after proposals to build a retirement home, an office and shops were blocked at Town Hall by city councillors who found that the size, scale, massing and design for the new building was “out of character” with Broughton.

Designs from agent PWA Planning show that the building for the retirement apartments would have been three storeys high.

However opposition to the retirement housing scheme expressed by residents at a planning meeting in January centred largely around the demolition of the Touch of Spice building.

Formally The Golden Ball pub, the building is a locally listed non-designated heritage asset which gives it a degree of protection in planning considerations.

But PCC has now been sent an application of “prior notification” to demolish the building on behalf of applicant Midas Land Limited.

Documents state: “This stage of the project involves the manual and mechanized demolition of the structures, excavation of the floor slab and foundations, crushing of suitable material for re-use by the client and clearance of all other material arising.”

A demolition notice states the work will take place on Thursday, February 28.

A Touch of Spice closed its doors for good on Monday, January 21 after 12 years in business.