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A stalemate continues as a Preston city centre road has now been closed off for three months.
Demolition work has yet to begin on buildings along Mount Street judged to be dangerous after a fire ripped through the former St Joseph’s Orphanage site.
Heritage campaigners have voiced their frustrations at the delay, while developers point the finger at the Health and Safety Executive.
The former St Joseph’s site is due to be redeveloped into an apartment complex, with the listed-building parts of the site including its distinctive tower incorporated into the design.
But a fire took hold in early November last year and caused extensive damage to the non-listed parts of the site.
London-based Zimrock Ltd, the owners of the building, say they have applied to be able to demolish those buildings – which are classed as unsafe – but while their proposals have been approved by Preston City Council they are awaiting the go ahead from HSE due to the level of asbestos found in the building.
Blog Preston understands from city centre sources the resulting delays and eventual demolition work could see Mount Street remain closed for much of the rest of 2025.
Rachael Bryson of the recently formed Preserving Preston’s Heritage lobby group said: “The longer this building is left the less will be salvageable.
“We want to see better security for the site because any fire or trespass now is surely bordering on negligence.
“The longer St Joseph’s ends up being left the longer it’s open to the elements.”
The buildings have become so unsafe that firefighters have been advised not to enter them – according to Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. An arson investigation into the fire was commenced but was stalled when firefighters could not set foot in the building. No arrests have been made.
Preston’s Business Improvement District, who represent city centre businesses, said the closure would be having a ‘material impact’ on businesses and people using the city centre.
BID manager Mark Whittle said: “We understand that it is, of course, vitally important for public safety, that any demolition work is carried out professionally. However, given the location of Mount Street, directly in the heart of the city centre, prolonged closures to enact demolition have material impacts on businesses and people using the city centre.
“We would hope that those directly involved with making the site safe can get on with their planned works without further delays, allowing the site to be made secure, and the city centre road network re-open and operate as usual.”
Security at the Mount Street site has been beefed up in the wake of the fire last year, with developers Zimrock saying they had increased patrols – while Preston City Council launched its ‘task force’ with more council officers on the streets more regularly and more regular checks of empty buildings. The action was in response to the St Joseph’s fire and the Church Street fire which resulted in demolition of a number of buildings.
A spokesperson for Preston City Council said: “The site owner’s demolition contractor has been liaising with the Health and Safety Executive to secure the necessary consents to proceed. This is complicated due to the fact, that there is asbestos present on site.
“Safe working arrangements are overseen by the HSE and key decisions on when work may commence rests with that inspectorate. We understand that approval from the HSE is close to being obtained and the contractor is on standby as soon as that is received.”
Blog Preston approached all three city centre ward councillors for comment – but received no response by the time of publication.
A spokesperson for Zimrock told Blog Preston all relevant paperwork had been submitted required for the demolition and they were awaiting a decision by the HSE.
A spokesperson for the Health and Safety Executive said, when asked for an update, said: “We are continuing to work with the council, owner and contractors to ensure the safe demolition of the site.”
Bus lane suspension continues in Fishergate
Meanwhile, the closure of Mount Street has led to the suspension of the Fishergate bus lane.
The traffic enforcement cameras were switched off by Lancashire County Council following the fire.
Latest figures showed more than 8,000 drivers-a-year were being caught with fines for driving in the Fishergate bus lane.
This means the suspension of the bus lane may have cost the county council around £70,000 in lost revenue from bus lane fines.
A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: “Mount Street remains closed so drivers can travel through the Fishergate bus gate until it can be safely reopened.
“Mount Street has been closed since November following a suspected arson attack at the former St Joseph’s Orphanage.
“This required us to suspend the bus gate on Fishergate to avoid people being fined, which in turn has created a cut through the city centre that was not originally intended.
“Signs are in place to inform drivers of the current route and the bus gate signs are covered to avoid confusion.
“Due to the extensive damage that was caused by the fire, further work is required to make the Mount Street site safe.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and aim to make the bus gate operational again as soon as possible.”
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