Pillars eyes consent for Preston apartments
Developer Pillars Holdings is seeking approval from the city council for a scheme comprising 294 apartments on land used as a car park on Avenham Lane.
The proposed development in the Stoneygate area of Preston was designed by David Cox Architects and features five blocks ranging in height from five to sixteen storeys.
A total of 175 of the apartments would have one bedroom, while 119 would have two bedrooms.
An earlier iteration of the scheme, lodged last year and designed by German architect Oezen-Reimer + Partner, mooted the same number of apartments to be built across three blocks ranging from five to eight storeys.
The height of the scheme has since been increased and the layout has been reconfigured following discussions with Preston City Council planning officers.
A courtyard and stepped terrace also feature under the plans
Block breakdown
Block A – 16 storeys with 95 flats, in the south-west corner of the site at the junction of Avenham Street and Syke Street
Block B – nine storeys with 73 flats, in the north-west corner of the site, fronting Avenham Street
Block C – eight storeys with 71 flats, in the north-east corner of the site at the junction of Boltons Court and Bostock Street
Block D – seven storeys with 41 flats, situated in the south-east corner of the site at the junction of Boltons Court and Avenham Lane
Link Block – five storeys with 14 flats, situated at the north of the site and linking blocks C and D
The apartments would range in size from 440 sq ft to 1,200 sq ft.
Additionally, the development would include a central landscaped courtyard area with a stepped terrace leading down to Syke Street and Avenham Lane.
A two-level basement car park with more than 200 spaces is also proposed.
The developer would not provide affordable homes as part of the project as this would render the scheme unviable, according to planning documents published ahead of the committee meeting on Thursday.
Preston City Council’s independent surveyor said that, having considered the developer’s viability report, “it is reasonable to justify that no affordable housing, and/or financial contributions would be required on the grounds of viability”.
Pillars Holdings is headquartered in the UK and has registered offices across markets including Europe, Asia and Australia, where it has schemes either completed or in the pipeline.
