A storey has been removed from one of the new-build apartment blocks. Credit: planning documents

Park Hotel returns to Preston committee

24 January 2024 11:24 Neil Tague Comments (0)

Adjustments have been made to proposals for 400 apartments at East Cliff, with officers now backing approval for development of a site last used as offices by Lancashire County Council.

Applicant Heaton Group, working with planner Paul Butler Associates and Day Architectural is seeking consent to convert the historic hotel to form a 65-unit aparthotel, complete with gym and co-working space and a café/restaurant at ground floor.

Along with this, Heaton wants to build a seven-to-nine storey building with 193 apartments, a nine-storey building with 128 flats and convert 8 East Cliff to six apartments.

The proposals also include improved access to Miller Park, along with improvements to landscaping, parking and drainage.

Development of the site has been on the cards for several years: in 2017, Local Pension Partnership secured a consent for a hotel and offices scheme, but only got as far as the demolition of the 1960s office block on site that the project required.

Heaton then presented its plans for the site in May last year, looking to bring forward 236 homes in an eight-to-10 storey building, and 118 in the nine-storey block. The first of those two has now been reduced by a floor.

Of the apartments to be developed, Heaton proposes 225 one-bedroom apartments and 102 two-bedroom apartments.

Preston’s planning committee will consider the project on 1 February. The application number on the council planning portal is 06/2023/0509.