Preston’s Fishergate floated for 530,000 sq ft of offices

Leaving the shopping centre itself largely untouched, Martin Property Group has shared an initial vision for four office buildings on the complex’s surface car park.

BDP, acting on Martin Property Group’s behalf, has filed an EIA screening opinion request for the proposals, which are expected to be doled out in phases.

The first of these phases would comprise two office blocks. The taller of the two, coming in at more than nine storeys in height, would have 103,900 sq ft of space. This would sit on the southwest corner of the 1.7-acre car park site.

The shorter of the two would be six storeys and sit on the southeast corner. It would comprise 70,500 sq ft.

A second phase, focused on the northern section of the car park, would see the delivery of one eight-storey, 147,500 sq ft office complex and another one of nine storeys and 208,300 sq ft. To make way for these future offices, the applications describes a “small amount of demolition” being necessary – namely the southern-most portions of the TK Maxx and TJ Hughes stores. More info would be shared in a reserved matters application for these two office blocks.

Plans for the offices are still in the early phases, but this image gives a sense of where the buildings would sit in relation to the shopping centre (left) and train station (bottom). Credit: via planning documents

Place North West understands that all four office buildings would be built to achieve high sustainability ratings.

Given the site’s proximity to public transport – it sits adjacent to the Preston Railway Station and close to a series of bus stops – parking is not a major factor in the plans. Potential undercroft parking with accessible spaces is being considered, though.

Down the line, Martin Property Group has ambitions to add a fifth building – a residential one – to the offices outlined in the screen application. This would have around 300 flats.

The application touches on the future redevelopment of the centre itself into a mixed-use, high-rise complex of three buildings with a public square. However, that is the extent of the information shared at this point.

The residential building and this mixed-use project will be the subject of separate planning applications “at a later date”, according to the screen opinion.

Martin Property Group acquired the Fishergate site in 2021 for £8m. The developer also Grosvenor Centre in Chester.

BDP is the town planning consultant for the project. You can learn more about the plans by searching application reference number 06/2024/0355 on Preston City Council’s planning portal.