2016 has been quite a year for the centre of Preston.  The biggest thing to be noticed is that Fishergate looks a lot more attractive.  As a pedestrian it’s now a pleasing place to be.

Winckley Square has been re-modelled and has an attractive heritage feature in the middle highlighting points of interest.

The Victorian Market Canopies have been refurbished and look very smart.

The Guild Hall is having a makeover and at the front looks a lot more attractive.

The proposals for the Harris Building are being drafted and as a Grade 1 listed building this needs to be done very sympathetically.

The entrance to the Bus Station Car Park is being rebuilt at the Ringway end.

The Trampower light railway has built some test track and the council gave approval for trials.

Work continued at UCLan around the demolished Fylde Building and Adelphi roundabout.

Primark have submitted plans to extend their shop front.

A new traffic flow round St John’s and the Covered Market is proposed.

Several interesting projects are moving ahead in Preston as reported only 2 months ago and now we have 3 more with progress to report.

Work has started to restore Winckley Square which will have as its main feature a lit walkway from the Peel Statue to a central area and then straight across to the other side. Barton Grange, known best for their top quality garden centre, are doing the work.

Also the council approved the covered market proposal which will create an indoor market inside the larger canopy and a market made of containers under the smaller one.   As the canopies are listed buildings and their full extent is one of their major features care is being taken to ensure they can be appreciated, we hope.

Also Hemingway Design have been been appointed to interpret the public interface of the Harris Museum, Library and Art Gallery along with Purcell to be architects.  It will be interesting to discover what is being proposed.

June brought us four interesting proposals for existing major buildings in Preston.

First we had a proposal to turn the historic Corn Exchange into a swish VIP bar and nightclub.

Next came a plan for the iconic Park Hotel building overlooking Miller Park, realising the potential of one of Preston’s outstanding features.  This is to turn it from offices to being a hotel with a bridge to the railway station.  Also to knock down the 1960’s building next door, a wonderful idea giving full prominence to the hotel’s features and location.  This sounds a great scheme from every aspect assuming it has a financial basis or even if it hasn’t maybe to those who enjoy Preston’s vistas.  The plan includes transferring the building  to Lancashire County Council Pension Scheme.

The proposed hotel overlooking Miller Park Preston

Then it was announced that Signature Living of Liverpool were in the process of buying the old Post Office building next to the Cenotaph for use as a boutique hotel.  They already have two hotels in Liverpool.  This fits well with the leisure schemes for the area.

Finally in late June there is a proposal to change the frontage of the Guild Hall and introduce a bowling alley and other features.  The frontage being moved to face onto the redeveloped bus station.

Completing four out of four will be rated outstanding with 5 stars.

It was announced that the proposed Youth Zone building was too close to the listed bus station building (something we commented on in our first post on the subject).  The building has been moved to retain the integrity of the  Grade 2 listed bus station design and reshaped from the rather ugly rounded shape to a square one.  This is quite an improvement although it seems a bit blank on the upper section.

Preston Bus Station and Youth Zone modified design