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Further buildings in Church Street could be toppled as the aftermath of a major fire in Preston city centre continues.
Preston City Council says it is ‘awaiting structural engineer reports’ on neighbouring buildings to 131 Church Street.
The building, which was ravaged by a severe fire during the evening of Tuesday 12 November was demolished over the weekend after being declared as unsafe.
Road closures at the Manchester Road and Church Street junctions are remaining in place for the time being.
Following the fire on Tuesday evening then emergency services returned to the site on Thursday after hotspots flared and they received information the building – which was abandoned – had been used by people sleeping rough.
Searches took place and Preston Police also released an appeal to trace a 37-year-old man they feared had been sleeping in the building recently – he was found safe and well during Saturday.
The scene has now been handed to the city council who are acting as the lead authority on what to do with the Church Street plot.
The fire took place at a block – known as St John’s Row – which is due to see extensive redevelopment after plans for a new apartment block and ‘public open space’ were approved in June this year.
A spokesperson said: “We are relieved that there were no casualties following the incident. However, a number of buildings sustained extensive damage, rendering them unsafe and beyond repair. Some demolition has already taken place and will continue through this week. We await a further structural engineer’s report tomorrow (Tuesday) to assess the condition of the remaining buildings and impact on neighbouring properties.
“The Council is liaising with the building owner’s demolition contractors, Peter Marquis, who we will work closely with to ensure the site is safe and secure and assist with the demolition of the affected buildings.
“We extend our gratitude to the emergency services and other agencies involved for their swift actions and dedication to ensuring public safety.”
Thankfully no repeat of Eldon Street tragedy
Chief executive of The Foxton, Jeff Marsh, said he was relieved the fire had not been a repeat of what took place at the former St David’s Church in Eldon Street, Plungington, two years ago – when the body of a rough sleeper was found following a fire at the site.
Mr Marsh said: “It is good news the missing man who was causing so much concern following the fire in the city centre has been found alive and well. Sadly it could have ended more tragically as it did a couple of years ago following a fire in an abandoned church in Preston where a rough sleeper was found dead.
“Rough sleepers live a precarious life and many lives are ended early for a variety of reasons. At our recent event for World Homeless Day we dedicated a bench in our day centres outside area in memory of 23 people we know who had passed away in the previous 16 months in the city.
“It’s both true and sad to say that the deaths of homeless people often go unreported and unmarked. The average age of these people was 43 years, this reflects the average age at death for rough sleepers reported nationally. I don’t know of any other group of people with such terrible health outcomes.
“Many of the empty buildings aren’t abandoned just left vacant by owners waiting to redevelop sites, they need to take responsibility for these sites.
“We hope to see long term funded accommodation and support services for rough sleepers and other homeless people not short term grant funded programmes. I recently wrote to the Homeless Minister, supported by our MP Sir Mark Hendrick, to press for an early decision on homeless funding. I await her response with real interest. We can do better than this and with proper funding we can end homelessness by working together.”
Read more: The Foxton Centre says 23 homeless people died in Preston in the past 16 months
Road closures remain and enforcement action talked up
The road closures have remained in force since Thursday and run from the Guild Row turn on Church Street up to the Manchester Road junction. There is also now access to Church Street from Church Row (where the road comes down from the Bus Station and Blitz nightclub).
Diversion routes, for motorists, is Church Street – Fishergate – Glovers Court – Syke Street – Avenham Lane – Manchester Road and Church Street.
Pedestrian access is maintained and the city council says it is ‘reviewing regularly’ the need for road closures but says they remain in place for public safety.
Preston Business Improvement District is urging people to continue to support traders in the Church Street area – with businesses, apart from those directly next door to the fire site, remaining open.
The city council also released a statement aimed at building and land owners in the city as the council says it is considering ‘enforcement measures’ where anti-social behaviour and unsafe buildings continue.
A city council spokesperson told Blog Preston: “Owners of buildings which are empty are responsible for preventing unauthorised access and making routine checks for damage and breaches of security, which should be rectified promptly. This is not only to prevent fires and protect the building from damage but also to prevent anti-social behaviour which is detrimental to others in the neighbourhood.
“Where sites are found to be insecure, the council will notify the owner requiring measures to be taken to prevent further access. There are routine checks carried out by the council on the buildings where security measures have been compromised until satisfied the matters are resolved.
“Unfortunately, this may also need to be resolved by enforcement measures, including work carried in default where the owner is unresponsive or cannot be located.
“The council also offers advice on measures to take to prevent access and may require measures using its most appropriate tools and powers.”
The Church Street fire and closure follows the fire in early November at the former St Joseph’s Orphanage.
Mount Street remains closed to traffic following the fire and buildings, which were already scheduled for demolition, are being assessed ahead of demolition likely to take place in the coming weeks across the Mount Street site.
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