Posted by 
A multi-million pound scheme to bring the city’s former court building back to life as new offices remains on track, says Preston City Council.
Proposals for the grade-II listed Amounderness House were approved in November last year but work is yet to start on the building.
Funding towards the revamp of the building, which will become a new office and retail hub in the heart of Preston city centre, was secured a number of years ago as part of the city’s £20m Towns Fund pot. It is due to cost £7.4m.
Read more: Vacant Preston shop on verge of collapse will be demolished
The former magistrates’ court building which sits at the corner of Lancaster Road and Earl Street has stood empty for more than 20 years.
Asked by Blog Preston what progress was being made the city council said it remained on track for work to begin during 2025.
Cabinet member for community wealth building and city regeneration, councillor Valerie Wise, said: The project to convert and refurbish the Grade II listed Amounderness House into managed office/workspace is progressing.
“It is a project being delivered under the Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme. The city council‘s appointed development manager, Maple Grove Developments, has procured detailed architectural designs for the scheme and obtained market tendered prices for the work. A financial business case is planned to be brought to a future meeting of the full council, with a view to progressing to a build contract, for a start on site in early 2025.”
When funding was announced for the scheme the Amounderness House building was scheduled to be operational, in some form, during the end of 2025.
It’s understood it will be operated by the W_rkspace group who already run a number of co-working spaces and services offices across the city – near the prison, the Docks and at Fulwood.
Subscribe: Keep in touch directly with the latest headlines from Blog Preston, join our WhatsApp channel and subscribe for our twice-a-week email newsletter. Both free and direct to your phone and inbox.
Read more: See the latest Preston news and headlines
