Rejection for 242 Broughton homes

Preston city councillors sided with their officers in refusing two residential applications for projects on open countryside. Meanwhile, proposals for a medical centre off St Paul’s Road were approved.

Land south of Broughton Park off Whittingham Lane

• Application reference: 06/2025/0343

The fourth application for this site had a similar fate to its predecessors – refusal. Preston City Council voted to reject the project from AAB Developments and Lester Developments.

The scheme called for the building of up to 75 homes on a 16-acre, greenfield site off Whittingham Lane. Among the homes proposed were 11 bungalows. Most of the 75 homes were due to be affordable.

Proposals submitted by planner S&L also included four acres of public open space, a wildflower meadow, and public footpaths.

The application was refused because of its location on the open countryside. The city council also did not believe the application had adequately demonstrated that the project would have an acceptable impact on highway safety and mitigate any flood risk.

In addition to S&L, the project team included Ecology Services, Betts Hydro Consulting Engineers, SCP Transport Planning, and Hepworth Acoustics.

Land to the south of Whittingham Lane and west of James Towers Way

• Application reference: 06/2025/0519

Wain Homes’ application for up to 167 homes, a 50,600 sq ft care home, a 4,300 sq ft community hall, and a car park were similarly refused.

Like the application before it, this was due to its presence on open countryside.

Wain Homes’s project had included 58 affordable homes.

The project team included MCK Associates, HCUK Group, Wardell Armstrong, Emery Planning, Barnes Walker, and Martec Environmental Consultants.

1618 Architects designed the Ali Medical Centre. Credit: via planning documents

200 St Paul’s Road

• Application reference: 06/2025/0218

Demolition is due for a vacant office building sitting on council-owned land, now that city councillors have voted to approve Ali Medical Centre’s proposal for the site.

In place of the office building, the city council will erect a two-storey medical centre.

The centre would include four treatment rooms, six consulting rooms, a reception, and administrative offices. There would also be a 21 car park built, of which 14 spaces would be reserved for patients and five for staff.

Cassidy + Ashton is the planning consultant for the project, which was drawn up by 1618 Architects.