[Accura4Matalan]

For discussion on developments in the third city of North West England.

City of Preston: Projects List

Adelphi Square - University of Central Lancashire
Architect: Hawkins/Brown
Status: Approved

Redevelopment of the site of the now demolished Fylde Building at UCLAN. Proposes a new hub building for the uni, and public square on the site of what is currently a double-roundabout

Preston Bus Station Redevelopment
Architect: John Puttick
Status: Under Construction

Preston Bus Station (largest in Western Europe) would have been demolished as part of the Tithebarn scheme. Following the collapse of Tithebarn, the bus station has been listed as a result of a long campaign by the 20th Century Society. Under the new plans, the following will happen:
- The interior of the bus station will be restored to its original state
- The western apron will be closed to buses
- Half of the former apron will be converted into a public square, faced upon by the bus stations recognisable facade, the redeveloped Guild Hall, and St John's shopping centre (which hopefully will face the wrecking ball in the not too distant future)
- The other half of the former apron will have a Youth Zone building constructed
- The eastern apron will remain open to buses

Markets Quarter
Architect: Unknown
Status: Under Construction

Another one which would have been subject of Tithebarn, this is a scheme to vastly modernise Preston's markets. The plans are:
- Demolish the current indoor market building, and replace it with an 11-screen cinema. The contract to operate the cinema has been secured by The Light chain
- Glaze the larger of the Victorian canopy, and create 25 permanent units for traders
- Move the outdoor market into the street, and beneath the smaller Victorian canopy
- As part of the plans, the Art Deco Lancastria House would be mostly demolished, but have its facade retained and integrated into the cinema

Preston Guild Hall Redevelopment
Architect: Frank Whittle Partnership
Status: Under Construction

- Redevelopment of ageing Guild Hall, Arcade, and Charter Theatre
- Conversion of former retail units to restaurants (already 50% complete, with 3 new restaurants trading)
- Creation of new bowling alley
- New entrance opening onto the new public square at the bus station

(Apologies for the crap renders... quite surprising for a reputable architect)

Post Office Hotel Conversion
Architect: Unknown
Status: Under Construction

- Liverpool-based Signature Living to take former post office and convert to boutique hotel
- Planning application submitted

LoftHaus
Architect: David Cox
Developer: ASSH Investments
Status: Proposed

- Redevelopment of Forresters Hall on Great Shaw Street
- This would be Preston's third tallest building if completed

Altus
Architect: David Cox
Developer: Greater Manchester Teachers Pension Fund
Status: Proposed

Construction of new office block on site of surface car park and Staples store

Park Hotel
Architect: Cassidy and Ashton
Developer: Lancashire County Council Pension Fund
Status: Proposed

- Scheme by pension fund to turn former Lancashire County Council office into hotel
- The building is 5 mins walk from the railway station, and fronts onto Avenham Park and the River Ribble

Glovers Court
Architect: Reid Architects
Developer: Unknown
Status: Proposed

Redevelopment of former Booths head office in the city centre

Engineering Building - University of Central Lancashire
Architect: Unknown
Status: Under Construction

- New building at UCLAN on the site of a surface car park
- This would face onto the new Adelphi Square

Sizer House
Developer:
Architect: David Cox
Status: Proposed

Redevelopment of former UCLAN office building into Student Halls. Includes statue of R2D2.

Cuerden Strategic Development Plan
Developer: LCC
Architect: Under Appointment
Status: Enabling Works

Proposal for large scale commercial and residential development on land between Preston and Leyland, adjacent to the M6/M65/M61 triange. So far IKEA have been signed up to anchor the development.

Guildhall Street Yeast Warehouse
Developer: Etc Urban Developments
Status: Proposed

Conversion of former yeast warehouse into apartments

Maudland Bank Halls
Developer:
Architect: David Cox
Status: Rejected

Redevelopment of a disused social club into student halls. Rejected by PCC and due to go back to planning.

City Mission Redevelopment
Developer: Hollinwood Homes
Architect: Stride Treglown
Status: Proposed

Redevelopment of the City Mission Church into student halls on a prominent site adjacent to the Ringway.

Church Row Apartments[/IMG]
Developer: Eastern Estates
Architect: 1618
Status: Proposed

Redevelopment of an old warehouse near the bus station. Developer wants to build an aparthotel here

Canterbury Hall
Developer: Sunglen
Architect: David Cox
Status: Under Construction

Student halls on the site of a former pub

Garden Street Apartments
Developer: Northern Estates
Architect: 1618 Architects
Status: Proposed

Redevelopment of former CNC Sports Hall just off Winckley Square

Preston City Deal Roads Scheme
Developer: Lancashire Enterprise Partnership
Status: Under Construction

- Construction of new Broughton Bypass to better move traffic through North Preston to the A6 (now open)
- Widening of the A582 from Preston to Bamber Bridge, better moving traffic across South Ribble (U/C)
- Construction of the new Penwortham Bypass to allow traffic to move from the A582 out of Preston, along a new dual carriageway to the A59
- Construction of the new Preston Western Distributor to allow traffic to move from the A583 to a new junction with the M55
- Construction of various new shared-space in parts of the city centre

Trampower Demonstrator Line
Developer: Trampower
Status: Enabling Works

- Scheme by Trampower to set up a demonstrator line for their City Class Tram and stations along the former Preston - Longridge line.
- If successful, this may be extended to serve the city centre

 

[Accura4Matalan]

Bit of news. The tower crane at the student halls being built at Maudland Bank has now been taken down. However, it looks like it has been replaced with a crane on wheels. Still very tall, but it wont be too long before we see the site empty of cranes.

 

[NCN_v1.0]

>test

 

[NCN_v1.0]

I've been reading the old Preston thread for quite a while now and thought it was about time I said hello. I had a little trouble signing up, so first of all thanks to Accura for the help!

 

[NCN_v1.0]

Some Preston pictures

I don't know if these should really go on the Preston development thread - if there is anywhere else I should have posted them let me know...

New Student Union Building

This building has come in for a lot of criticism, and in some ways I can see why. I can't help but get the impression that the architects have tried to build a fashionable modern building in the ilk of the Bilbao Guggenheim but ended up getting an industrial warehouse that has funny angles and is a bit shinier.

However...

I like it.

At least they are trying, and there is no doubting that this is a landmark building that provokes a reaction. Love it or hate it, at least it stays in your mind.

Too many new buildings, especially around Preston, are simply invisible. They might as well not be there for all people notice them. The St. Georges centre extension doesn't recieve much criticism, but it should. It is a boring structure. Meanwhile the bus station is ostracised, but people need to realise that if places like Preston are going to have their own character and not look like you could be anywhere, we need buildings with personality.

I like the new union building and the bus station, for those who don't I hope they can recognise that it is the mundane structures that should be attacked first, not the interesting ones.


Bus Station

I'm not one of those people that are 100% in the Save Preston Bus Station camp, but it seems a shame that Preston is going to lose one if its few unique and memorable buildings.

If the Tithebarn scheme can only go ahead if the station is knocked down, then so be it, but the project better actually replace it with something worthwhile and not just a few boring, soulless buildings.

Personally I would like to see the bus station incorporated into the scheme and adapted to fit a new use, but that extremely unlikely. Ah well.

Harris Museum

Offices on the Docks

St. Walburgs Church

 

[Accura4Matalan]

Yay! It worked! Welcome to the boards.
Posting any old pictures in this forum is no problem whatsoever. I've always done it! If I've been around town taking loads of pics, I sometimes start a thread in the UK Skyscrapers and Skylines forum, but if I've just taken the odd image then it goes here.
Those are fantastic pics by the way. Love the docks one.

 

[Preston_guy]

Oh no Accura the thread is gone! Nevermind, we will rise from the ashes! Or something along those lines anyway... Hello NCN and welcome, I like your pics!

 

[Accura4Matalan]

I've just found out that all the deleted threads we're backed up and gothic and the rest of the admin team will be restoring them by the end of the week.
Hopefully, ours will rise from the dead too.

 

[Accura4Matalan]

The LEP have got an article today about the U/C Moor Lane flats. If they can be bothered to update their site by this evening then I'll post it.
Interesting that they refer to the 3 new blocks as 'towers' hno:
It might be something to do with the old 16-storey triplets, but I would hardly call 6/5-storeys a 'tower'...

 

[AndrewC]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Not the Preston Thread!



Only joking Accy, you do a stirling job for the Preston Massive.

 

[Accura4Matalan]

Thank you Much appreciated.

 

[Accura4Matalan]

Okay, since the LEP have decided not to add the Moor Lane story to their site, I'll just bullet the key points:
-117 apartments are being built on the site
-The development contains 3 blocks of 3/4/5-storeys
-There will be parking for 107 cars
-The buildings will have large glazed staircases, balconies and metal cladding
-A courtyard will be created allowing the public to view the old windmill through from Moor Lane
-The development should take at least 12 months to complete

 

[Accura4Matalan]

I just got an email from LCC saying that they will be in touch soon regarding the plans for the new Preston bus station.

 

[Preston_guy]

Thanks Accura, looking forward to the news!

 

[JUXTAPOL]

I just got an email from LCC saying that they will be in touch soon regarding the plans for the new Preston bus station.

Is there a problem with the concrete in the Bus station. That is a great design, they should keep it. Get it listed.

 

[Accura4Matalan]

Is there a problem with the concrete in the Bus station. That is a great design, they should keep it. Get it listed.

No, the current bus station is structurally sound (I think).
It might be a unique piece of architecture, but its still utterly crap.
Reasons to demolish bus station (hard to know where to begin):
-Stinks of piss
-Out of date
-Way too big
-Hindering development in that area of town
-Lots of crime in the network of subways beneath it
-Gives a bad impression to visitors
-Generally looks crap!

Good riddance to bad rubbish
Few piccies

Looked crap even when it was first built!

 

[Preston_guy]

I'm with Accura on this, the Tithebarn scheme will create around thousands of new jobs and as Accura said, it's way too big, unsafe, outdated and hinders development of a very large area, and thus, the surrounding areas. It must, and IS going. Yay!

 

[NCN_v1.0]

Wrong!

QUOTE=Accura_Preston

No, the current bus station is structurally sound (I think).

It might be a unique piece of architecture, but its still utterly crap.
It is unique. Why is it crap?

Reasons to demolish bus station (hard to know where to begin):
-Stinks of piss No it doesn't. And if it did; you don't fix that by demolishing the building. You buy some bleach.
-Out of date
In what way?
-Way too big
It is not excessively large. There is plenty of space which is better than not having enough.

-Hindering development in that area of town
True. Although there is no reason why the Tithebarn scheme couldn't adapt and update parts of the bus station if they wanted to.

-Lots of crime in the network of subways beneath it
Do you have any evidence of that? There are loads of cameras, security, and they are usually pretty busy. I've never seen anything dodgy (although I'm sure there probably have been incidents, as in many places)

-Gives a bad impression to visitors
How? By bring unique and memorable? Better than bland and forgettable surely.

-Generally looks crap!
I disagree

I think it is a pity Preston is going to lose one of its few unique, memorable, worthwhile buildings. Say what you want about they bus station, but it works!

The debate is pointless, because in all likelihood the bus station will go anyway, but I think it is a shame. If I was in charge of the scheme I would cut the bus waiting bays to just one side, add some more shops on the ground and possibly first floors and modernise the interior. Cutting the actual apron to just one side would make public access much easier - getting rid of the need for subways and allowing a new square to be built outside with new buildings on the other three sides (where the St' John's centre is now - a building that truely is crap; but unsurprisingly recieves no critisism because it is boring, bland and not noticed by people).

None of this is going to happen though.

Pity.

We'll have to wait and see as to whether they Grosvener project will be a worthy replacement. The council have made the mistake in the past of thinking new is always better. I just hope we don't get another Crystal House.

 

[NCN_v1.0]

 

[tommygunn]

that bus stop is huge too big in my opinion a nice glass one would look better and free up some land at the same time.