GALLERY | Reworked plans revealed for Preston resi tower
Fresh proposals for the 299-apartment development on Great Shaw Street are due to be considered at Preston City Council’s planning committee on Thursday, with a recommendation to approve.
ASSH lodged an outline application for the project in January 2018. Named LoftHaus, the tower included 300 rooms with a mix of studios and apartments. Alongside student beds the development will also have a private cinema, gym, study rooms, communal lounges, bike store and super-fast broadband.
Since the earlier application, the number of flats has been reduced by one apartment, and the tower increased in height by one storey to 21 storeys, after discussions with the council and design committees. The building is being marketed as a co-living opportunity, aimed at a mix of owner-occupiers, renters and students.
The project value has also increased, from £15m to £26m. Funding is expected to come from overseas investors.
The scheme will replace the existing Foresters’ Hall, which currently provides 27 student rooms. The building will be demolished as part of the proposals.
The development would be the city’s tallest residential building at 21 stories and its second tallest structure behind the Church of St Walburge.
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- LoftHaus is the tallest residential building currently proposed in Preston. Credit: via planning documents
Preston-based property developer Shoyab Musa is behind the plans, which were designed by David Cox Architects, with planning advice from PWA Planning.
Musa said: “This development is aimed at professionals, students and modern renters who prefer to live in a fully-managed building and want a hassle-free renting experience.
“It’s the kind of development that’s been around in the Far East and the big cosmopolitan cities for years and has now taken off in the UK due to the way millennials are choosing to live. It’s about living with like-minded people and being part of a community.
“It’s a very modern, high-end product. There’s going to be features like a 24-hour concierge, cinema room, a roof garden, and a ‘mega-kitchen’ where residents can socialise and cook together.”
David Cox, founder of David Cox Architects, said: “Our brief was to produce a residential development to address an emerging need for co-living in Preston.
“While many of the flats will be suitable for conventional owner occupiers, it’s also aimed at people who might work in the city and commute home to other cities at weekends, as well as key workers and people on temporary contracts or short-term assignments. Students at UCLan are also likely to be occupiers.
“The idea is to provide space which is flexible enough to respond to changing and developing needs suggested by the people who use the building. It will create a new feature on the skyline of Preston and we have taken great care with the design to ensure the profile of the city is enhanced.”
The proposals have been revised following detailed consultations with Preston City Council, including two design review panels.
Shoyab Musa is also the co-founder and managing director of Kingswood Sales & Lettings, the Preston-based estate agency and property management company.
Earlier iteration of the tower as submitted in January 2018
This is both amusing and depressing…
“It’s the kind of development that’s been around in the Far East and the big cosmopolitan cities for years and has now taken off in the UK due to the way millennials are choosing to live. It’s about living with like-minded people and being part of a community”
Millennials are not choosing to live like that. Millennials have very few alternatives to living in these developments if they want to be anywhere near to where they work or the city life because developers want to either want to build high end apartments that are out of reach of most first time buyers or they want to rinse millennials of as much money as possible. The government then pat themselves on the back saying they are building 1000’s of new homes when really they are just allowing these money making machines for wealthy. Developer PR is just spin and would be funny if it wasn’t so damaging to the next generation.
By Egg
Great, more student beds in a town that hasn’t seen student rents rising for a few years and already an over supply. You might want to revisit your appraisal, if not, good luck chaps.
By Howmany
Looks like Lord Farquaad’s Castle from Shrek 1!!
By Mike Myers
“It’s a very modern, high-end product. There’s going to be modern features like boxy studio “homes”, in which you will effectively cook in your bedroom, like some kind of victorian vagrant. You can have fun making new fake friends at the “cinema ” (projector room) though.”
By BAH
not in a million years will ever happen
By yeah right
I wouldn’t like it if these apartment’s were next to my house. Looks like a sore thumb!
By Mary Woolley
Will be amazed if it actually gets built.
By A Developer
Mary – I think you need to see a doctor about your sore thumb
By Anonymous
Not quite sure what Nat would have made of it……..or whether he would have agreed to have his name exploited in the branding.
By Dave McCall
I don’t think we will see Lofthaus Finneyshed…
By Gene Walker
Musa – millennials don’t chose to rent, they resort to it. The driver behind PRS/rented accommodation is pure humbug.
By Millennial
Money making scheme for these rich millionaires. The area is already full of high end flats for residents and students. With all the work going on at the university and surrounding area with sky scrapers this is just not required. Most people wudnt be able to afford it. This sort of high end living is better adopted in Middle East countries or down south. The name itself describes “loft”. Don’t want to see anymore square lofts. I think council shud build affordable accommodation for people who are really needy and struggling to get on property ladder rather than supporting money making developers.
By RIZ
Not needed !
By Sam