Preston’s historic Miller Arcade to become apartments

Former office space will be repurposed into 46 flats under plans approved by the city council’s planning committee on Thursday.

Icon Heritage, a Darwen-based developer headed by Rizwan Ibrahim Bux, can now turn the upper floors of the grade two-listed Miller Arcade into four studios, 24 one-bed, and 18 two-bed apartments. There is no affordable housing included in the project, due to viability constraints according to the planning committee report.

Miller Arcade sits sandwiched between Church Street, Jacson Street, Birley Street, and Lancaster Road in Preston’s city centre – just by The Harris. The building ranges from three to five storeys in height.

Under plans designed by David Cox Architects, the ground floor will continue to operate as a hub for retail and food vendors, as well as a night club. The area just above the night club will become communal space for the new tenants, including a cinema room, gym, lounge, kitchen, and workspace.

Alongside the communal area on the first floor will be 16 apartments. The second floor will host 19, with the third and fourth due to have 11 flats between them.

There is no parking provided in the development.

In addition to the conversion, the project includes improvements to the building’s thermal insulation, a new flat roof, and the installation of mechanical ventilation heat recovery systems in all of the apartments.

Cassidy + Ashton led the planning process for the application. The project team also included Henderson Heritage.

To learn more about the project search application reference 06/2026/0150 on Preston City Council’s planning portal.

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