Plans lodged for 154-bed hotel scheme in Preston

Plans for a 154-bed hotel in the centre of Preston have been submitted.

The 3.3-acre scheme on East Cliff will see the former Park Hotel restored with the creation of 71 en-suite bedrooms along with a new spa, banqueting pavilion and offices.

Cassidy + Ashton is the architecture firm on the scheme, with Frank Whittle Partnership on board as project managers and cost consultants.

As part of the development, the neighbouring concrete Joint Divisional Offices building will be demolished and replaced with a four-storey extension to the hotel that will create a further 83 bedrooms.

The rooms will be housed across the extension’s three upper floors, while the lower levels will be used as offices, conference facilities and a lounge bar and gym.

The hotel’s offer will be further boosted with a new 9,353 sq ft banqueting pavilion with seats for 500 guests overlooking Miller Park.

A deal was recently struck between Lancashire County Pension Fund and Lancashire County Council to transfer the former Park Hotel to the pension fund, financing the redevelopment.

Cassidy + Ashton project architect Chris Taylor said: “We’ve worked with all parties to fine tune the detailed designs and ensure the scheme fits with the city’s needs and the demands of visitors and those with commercial interests.

“The development is right on our doorstep and in a conservation area, so not without its challenges, but it’s set to create a new tourism asset for the city that will support jobs and the wider economy and enhance Preston’s reputation as a great place to visit and do business.”

Frank Whittle Partnership’s managing partner, David Robinson, commented: “The restoration of one of Preston’s most impressive and historic buildings is another sign of the strategic progress the city is making to boost its leisure and tourism offer.

“With the ambitious redevelopment of the Markets Quarter, the revitalisation of the Guild Hall entertainment complex, hotels being planned for the old Post Office building and the Guild Tower, we are seeing Preston significantly up its game.”

He added: “This collaboration between Preston’s biggest multi-disciplinary architecture and surveying companies is working very well and brings a huge amount of expertise to the project.”

The Park Hotel First opened in 1882 for rail passengers and was later turned into offices by Lancashire County Council.

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