It used to be an orphanage
One of Preston’s prime heritage assets will remain almost completely out of bounds to the public after plans to turn it into a gated housing development were given the go-ahead.
That news came as a bitter blow to the Friends of Harris Park group, which has campaigned to preserve the orphanage by repurposing it and ensuring it has a sustainable future. Previous suggestions have included turning it into a wedding venue, heritage attraction and cottage museum. “People will really feel that loss. Yes, things change, but to lose that access entirely and not have any benefit for the people of Preston from that development is shocking."
That blueprint would have seen many more new properties built – 23 on the former cricket pitch and seven elsewhere. A total of 338 letters of objection to the latest pitch for planning permission were sent to the city council from 293 households, along with two letters in support from one address. Contributions towards the creation of additional primary and secondary school places, totalling £316,000, were also subsequently sought by Lancashire County Council. A viability assessor commissioned by the city council concluded that the scheme would only be “marginally viable”, provided that nothing other than the CIL payment was required.
National planning policy requires local authorities to consider how any proposed development may assist in the conservation of a heritage asset – as well as assessing the potential impact on its significance and setting. Preston’s planning officers concluded that the proposal for Harris Park resulted in an overall “less than substantial” level of low-to-medium harm to the largely vacant site – while securing “substantial public benefits” which outweighed the downsides.
Committee member John Potter said that while the approved application was “considerably better” than previous proposals, he was sceptical that a development that will “probably become home to the most expensive houses in Preston” would make only around two percent profit if the requested contributions were provided.
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