REVEALED: Plans for hotel, commercial and residential complex in suburban Preston

A major hospitality, commercial and retail development could spring up in the grounds of one of Preston’s most iconic suburban landmarks – with the focal point being a “futuristic”, copper-clad, curved hotel specialising in Asian wedding banquets.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The Post has seen plans for the scheme on the site of the city’s former workhouse building in Fulwood, close to the old Sharoe Green Hospital.

A formal planning application is yet to be lodged for the proposal, but it is understood that the building’s owners – the Bhailok Group, which was only last week granted permission for a ‘sloping’ apartment block in the city centre – are intending to put the idea to council planning officers in the coming months.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Grade-II listed property on Watling Street Road, known for its distinctive square clock tower, currently operates as the Preston Business Centre – much of which is occupied by regional NHS organisations and a specialist rehabilitation centre.

Overhead view of proposed Preston Business Centre development, showing a hotel in the south east corner, retail units to the east and four new towers surrounding the main former workhouse building (image: 1618 Architects)Overhead view of proposed Preston Business Centre development, showing a hotel in the south east corner, retail units to the east and four new towers surrounding the main former workhouse building (image: 1618 Architects)
Overhead view of proposed Preston Business Centre development, showing a hotel in the south east corner, retail units to the east and four new towers surrounding the main former workhouse building (image: 1618 Architects)

The health service’s lease on the building is due to expire, but the Post understands that health bosses have been offered the chance to renew it – and that their decision will determine the shape of any future scheme.

If the NHS vacates the site, some of the commercial and retail facilities planned for new standalone structures on the site could instead be incorporated into the nineteenth-century building itself, which was erected to house Preston’s most impoverished residents in the 1860s.

But initial plans have been drawn up on the basis of the construction of four new towers surrounding the historic T-shaped workhouse, which would offer a mixture of commercial office space and an overall total of up to 65 one and two-bedroomed apartments.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A retail block, comprising three, 2000-square-feet units, would front Sharoe Green Lane, while the cornerstone of the development would be a 95-bed four or five-star hotel at the junction with Watling Street Road.

Proposed Preston Business Centre development, showing a hotel at the junction of Watling Street Road and Sharoe Green Lane (image: 1618 Architects)....Proposed Preston Business Centre development, showing a hotel at the junction of Watling Street Road and Sharoe Green Lane (image: 1618 Architects)....
Proposed Preston Business Centre development, showing a hotel at the junction of Watling Street Road and Sharoe Green Lane (image: 1618 Architects)....

Mohammed Afaq - managing director of 1618 Architects, which is working on the proposals – says that the plan is for each corner of the site to “have its own identity…in contrast to the old guard building at the centre” – and to bring something new to the city.

“Over the last few years, there has been a move towards large Asian wedding banqueting facilities – but Preston doesn’t really have a purpose-built facility like that which can cater for up to 500 guests, so most people go over towards Bolton or Manchester. The wedding offering would be a very important part of the [proposed] hotel.

“It’s a bit of a futuristic scheme in some respects. The hotel building would be state-of the art, curved and copper clad – and over a period of time would end up being the green, patternated colour that you get with copper. I think it would definitely make an impression,” Mr. Afaq said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Irrespective of the NHS decision over the lease on the main building, it is understood that they could be offered space for medical and dental facilities elsewhere on the site.

...and this is the land on which it would be built at the junction of Watling Street Road and Sharoe Green Lane (image: Neil Cross)...and this is the land on which it would be built at the junction of Watling Street Road and Sharoe Green Lane (image: Neil Cross)
...and this is the land on which it would be built at the junction of Watling Street Road and Sharoe Green Lane (image: Neil Cross)

The group behind the project says that it intends to engage in pre-application discussions with Preston City Centre to seek the authority's views on the proposal - but has taken the unusual step of going public with their plans first. Mr. Afaq accepts that they might not be to everybody’s taste in residential Fulwood.

“The client wants to be very open and put their cards on the table - in the hope that the discussion will generate ideas and possible interest from end users, such as potential operators of the hotel.

“You’ll never please everyone, but I’m sure some people will see it as a positive thing, certainly because of the number of jobs it will create in the area.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“But you will always get people who don’t want change – and at this stage, it’s just an idea that we want to pursue.”

Proposed retail units facing Sharoe Green Lane (image: 1618 Architects)Proposed retail units facing Sharoe Green Lane (image: 1618 Architects)
Proposed retail units facing Sharoe Green Lane (image: 1618 Architects)

A spokesperson for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, one of the current occupants of Preston Business Centre, said:

“The Trust would not comment publicly on private negotiations between ourselves and our landlords.

“We will continue to work closely with our service users and landlords to assess the ever changing needs of our services.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Preston City Council said that it was unable to comment on the proposals.

FROM POOR HOUSE TO WEDDING PARTY VENUE?

The workhouse opened in 1868 at a cost of £50,000 – £5.7m in today’s money – providing board and lodging in return for labour for up to 1,500 of the poorest Prestonians.

The view from Sharoe Green Lane, showing proposed commercial and residential towers flanking the workhouse building (image: 1618 Architects)The view from Sharoe Green Lane, showing proposed commercial and residential towers flanking the workhouse building (image: 1618 Architects)
The view from Sharoe Green Lane, showing proposed commercial and residential towers flanking the workhouse building (image: 1618 Architects)

The 150-metre-long building has since seen use as a civic hostel, college and, currently, as office facilities.

An infirmary built at the back of the workhouse eventually became Sharoe Green Hospital, but was later demolished in the 2000s. Many of its functions had already transferred to the new Royal Preston Hospital in the early 1980s.

The main three-storey building was listed in 1986.

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.