Council Approves Pair Of Apartment Blocks

The two city centre residential schemes, one at Preston Docks and another on the site of a former sports hall on Garden Street, will together provide 87 apartments once complete.


Maritime Way flats 

Maritime Way Preston 2

Developer: Austringer Capital

Planner: PWA Planning

Architect: Barclay Phillips Architects

Local Preston developer Austringer Capital, run by director Yousuf Bux, has won approval to build an eight-storey block containing 40 apartments on a site between Preston marina and the River Ribble.

Of the 40 apartments, 20 will have one bedroom and 20 will have two bedrooms.

A similar scheme on the same site was proposed by Oceanwave Estates in 2015 but was refused amid concerns over contamination, noise from the nearby railway line and an unsatisfactory flood risk assessment.

An existing residential block called Midland House occupies the same site.


Garden Street apartments 

Garden Street Preston Flats

Developer: Northern Estates

Architect and planner: 1618 Architects

Northern Estates, run by director Mustaq Bhailok, is planning to build a seven-storey apartment block containing 47 apartments, in the footprint of a former sports hall.

The sports hall, which was used by Cardinal Newman College, is located on Garden Street off Winkley Square and has been vacant for 10 years, according to Preston City Council, which approved the scheme on Thursday.

An earlier proposal from Bhailok outlined his intention to repurpose the building and add an extension to the upper floors, creating 41 apartments.

However, the council was unhappy with the scheme and suggested the developer demolish the sports hall rather than remodel it.

The redesign provided scope for the scheme to grow and a fresh application from Northern Estates sought permission for 65 flats.

However, the approved scheme will contain just 47 flats, according to the council.