A hotel name dating back decades is to be dropped as part of a multi-million pound regeneration and restoration scheme.
The Park Hotel, which is grade-II listed, and overlooks Avenham and Miller Park, will be renamed as part of the development which is branded as Farington Square.
Developer John Heaton, of The Heaton Group, said his firm was committed to bringing the hotel which dates back to 1883 back into use as part of their plan to construct two new residential apartment blocks on the site.
Mr Heaton, speaking at a recent Preston Partnership event focused on property and housing in the city, said: “We will be changing the name because it needs to be something that is more distinctive and says more clearly where it is and being attached to Preston too. Although it’s known as The Park Hotel here in Preston there is a problem in that there’s lots of park hotels across the country.
“When you get here it is a magnificent building and the view of it from the train line and from the park is outstanding, and we can’t wait to bring it back into use and see it and the wider site thriving and then connecting into the Station Quarter development when it happens as well.”
The whole redevelopment of The Park Hotel site is being branded as Farington Square which as well as the hotel building itself which is to have 65 apart-hotel spaces it will include 327 apartments across the two new apartment blocks and a neighbouring property.
Mr Heaton remained tight-lipped on the exact new name for the hotel which is yet to be confirmed – although The Farington Hotel is listed as part of The Heaton Group’s branding about the scheme.
Mr Heaton also outlined the financial challenges his firm had faced in bringing the redevelopment project forward although a significant funding packaging was agreed in February as the firm acquired the site after the latest planning application was also approved.
Many of the challenges he said were due to the historic nature of the building, its current state and also needing to ensure it met all the upgraded building regulations which had come into force in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.
He also addressed the security concerns about the site – which has seen regular reports of vandalism, anti-social behaviour and arson attempts.
Mr Heaton said: “There have been a lot of issues with kids getting in and causing problems. But we’re on site now, we have that building and are ready to start working. We have security, we have fencing and we will be ensuring this historic building for the city is protected and preserved.
“We will be doing the work to a very high specification and ensuring the interior really matches the exterior and it is a standout development for the city to be proud of.”
Alongside the hotel and the new apartment block a new gym and restaurant are to be included in the redevelopment as well as the restoration of the grade-II listed nearby property known as No.8 East Cliff.
The Park Hotel site has stood empty since 2011 when it was last used as offices by Lancashire County Council and the hotel was last operating as a hotel in the 1950s.
Proposals for the Heaton Group’s scheme have been back and forth to Preston City Council’s a number of times since first being approved in 2024 due to amendments needed to the size, scale and layout of the plans.
Director of Cassidy + Ashton, Alban Cassidy, who is located next door to the Park Hotel site at 7 East Cliff, welcomed the redevelopment moving forward.
He said: “It was interesting to hear the reasons why the new Hotel next to Avenham Park will be given a new identity and, as an adjacent business, we are excited to learn what it will be!”
The Park Hotel will be the latest redevelopment scheme in Preston for The Heaton Group, who completed their first scheme not far from the Park Hotel at the former sorting office in West Cliff more than a decade ago, before expanding to convert offices in Bishopsgate into new flats and building the high-rise development The Exchange at Pole Street.
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