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Demolition squads have been spotted beginning work at a fire-ravaged former hospital and orphanage in Preston city centre.
St Joseph’s Orphanage saw a major fire in early November last year and a stalemate over demolition of dangerous buildings has remained since then.
Now developers Zimrock have crews from Demolition Ltd on site for work which will take around three months to complete.
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Blog Preston understands the delay in undertaking the work – which has closed off Mount Street since the fire – was due to asbestos uncovered in the buildings. Last week it was confirmed agreement had been reached on how to proceed with the demolition.
The grade-II listed chapel and tower are to remain standing but the remaining Mount Street buildings around them will be gutted and brought down under the plans. Blog Preston revealed last year how the buildings had become too dangerous for firefighters to enter to investigate the cause of the fire.
Proposals for an apartment complex on the site had always seen the demolition of the ancillary buildings – with planning permission granted in February 2021 for three apartment blocks and ten townhouses on the site.
The Fishergate bus lane remains suspended from enforcement while the Mount Street closure is in place.
St Joseph’s had become a target for anti-social behaviour, vandalism and arson attempts with three major fires in the space of two years.
Preston City Council’s cabinet member for planning and regulation councillor Amber Afzal said in a statement about a number of empty heritage buildings in the city: “By adopting a joined up, multi-agency approach to tackling the complex issues that have blighted these properties through years of neglect, good progress is now being made.
“Public safety is our main concern but it is critical that also, wherever possible, we retain our heritage buildings that are so important to Preston’s history and give the city its unique cultural identity.”
The city council has faced increasing pressure over the number of empty listed buildings in the city from campaign group Preserving Preston’s Heritage which was set up in the aftermath of the St Joseph’s fire and a major fire in Church Street which saw a listed building have to be demolished as a result.
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