Preston rubber-stamps 114 homes
Blackbrook Hall and Oakwood Homes each had their applications approved by the local authority’s planning committee, meaning 51 residences are due to be built in Broughton and 63 in the city centre.
Preston City Council debated the applications at a meeting last week, which also saw the local authority give the go-ahead to the transformation of the upper floors of the historic Miller Arcade from offices to apartments.
All three decisions were done in line with office recommendation.
You can learn more about Blackbrook Hall and GR Developments’ applications below.
The Section 106 includes off-site affordable homes. Credit: planning documents
Lanson House
Developer: Blackbrook Hall
Architect: 1618 Architects
Planner: Cassidy + Ashton
The former Lanson House and Newman College Sports Hall site has received a green light from the city council to become a part three-storey, part five-storey apartment block with 53 one-bed flats and 10 two-bed ones.
The decision from Preston City Council comes six years after the Lanson House portion of the site received permission for a taller, seven-storey apartment block in 2020. Like this project, that earlier version had been designed by 1618 Architects.
An outline application, Blackbrook Hall’s development would have no affordable homes or parking. There would be storage for 144 bicycles, however.
When finished, the proposed apartment block would sit at the corner of Mount Street and Garden Street in Preston’s city centre.
You can learn more by searching reference 06/2026/0083 on Preston City Council’s planning portal.
Outline permission for the Garstang Road project was granted in 2024. Credit: via planning documents
Land west of Garstang Road
Developer: Oakwood Homes
Architect: Hinton Cook Architects
Planner: The Planning Studio
Oakwood Homes’ reserved matters application for 51 homes on 6.4 acres of open countryside in Broughton was approved in principle by the city council.
The scheme builds upon an outline consent granted in 2024 at appeal and would be accessed from Garstang Road.
Under designs by Hinton Cook Architects, there would be 19 total different house types – 16 for the 31 market homes, and three for the 20 affordable ones.
The affordable homes would break down to eight with one bedroom, 10 with three, and two with four.
The market homes are a mix of one- to five-bedroom residences.
Plans includes a wildlife pond, open space, and sustainable drainage system.
Paragon Development Finance has contributed £8.8m to support the project, which has a gross development value of £20m. Oakwood Construction is due to build the scheme.
You can learn more by searching reference 06/2026/0326 on Preston City Council’s planning portal.
