A redundant office building in Preston city centre could be converted into dozens of single-room flats and a café-cum-restaurant.
A bid has been made to turn Premier House, on Church Street, into a 30-bed house of multiple occupation (HMO) – aimed at students and commuting professionals.
According to plans lodged with Preston City Council, the two-storey building, opposite Preston Minster, has been largely vacant since the onset of the pandemic saw most of its office workers switch to home-working – and never return.
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Under the proposal, by Castle Homes Estates, the rear of the ground floor and the whole of the first floor would become residential accommodation – with what is described as a ‘high end’ eatery occupying the majority of the remaining street-level space.
Part of the building will be retained for potential office use, should the demand for it arise – although the application submitted to town hall planners notes that the transition back to office working has been ‘reluctant and slow’, resulting in several empty buildings around Preston city centre.
If approved, the café-restaurant would operate from 8am until 11pm, with the potential to provide breakfast for early morning commuters using Church Street to head towards either the bus or railway station.
Last month, the city council revealed plans for an effective ban on HMOs throughout urban Preston, amid concerns about the impact their proliferation was having on the “quality of life” of residents. There are now more than 900 HMO facilities in the city – properties where three or more people from different households live together and share amenities like the kitchen and bathroom.
A public consultation over the new rules closed earlier this month, but any changes that are ultimately made to local planning policy will not come into force for around a year..
A planning statement in support of the Premier House application says the “unique nature” of the proposed conversion “will only enhance the vitality of the surrounding area and health benefits it brings to the neighbourhood”.
It adds: “The applicants wish to provide affordable housing for students and commuting professionals, with a view to revitalising the deteriorating, lifeless feel of…Church Street.
“The café and restaurant will provide [an] immediate socialising [opportunity] for occupants and visitors to the town centre.
“This proposal will make small changes to the building and re-use the existing site. The majority of the changes will be made internally, with refurbishment of the existing ground and first floor space. [The] changes will inject much needed life into the locality.”
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