Preston appoints consultants for Stoneygate masterplan

Preston City Council has appointed planner Nexus to work alongside Buttress Architects, Gillespies, Colliers, and WSP to work up a masterplan for an “urban village” in the Stoneygate area of the city.

The area covers Stoneygate and Church Street, as well as the Queens Retail Park and the Cardinal Newman College, and has been earmarked for development since the city and the local enterprise partnership issued its latest City Living plan in April, prepared by Cushman & Wakefield.

The regeneration of the area will focus on brownfield and “under-used” sites which will be brought forward for a variety of residential, business, education, and leisure projects.

Nexus director Peter Tooher will lead the project, which is expected to take around four months to complete.

Other areas to be brought forward under the city’s updated plans include the Harris Quarter, the area around Winckley Square, an area around the Station, and Corporation Street. These have been packaged up by Homes England, the city council, and Lancashire County Council.

Cllr Peter Moss, cabinet member for planning and regulation at Preston City Council said: “Developing an action plan for Stoneygate is an important next step for the city centre, and our City Living Strategy, and we are pleased to appoint Nexus Planning as consultants to lead us and our partners in this study.

“It is exciting to watch the city centre come to life with investments such as the City Deal infrastructure, City Living developments, soon-to-be Shankly Hotel, Guild Hall developments and of course, Preston Markets. The Stoneygate area provides great opportunities to further expand and diversify Preston’s city centre.”