Plans to bring the upper floors of Preston’s historic Miller Arcade back into use move to councillors next week, with planning officers recommending approval for a conversion to 46 apartments inside the Grade II-listed building off Lancaster Road near the Flag Market.
The proposal creates 24 one-bedroom flats, 18 two-bedroom flats, and four studio apartments. It also includes shared resident space with a gym, library, cinema, lounge area, kitchen, meeting room, and workspace. Ground-floor retail and leisure units remain in place and continue operating.
For mason contractors, the most important line item sits in the external works tied to the conversion. Planning officers note window and masonry repairs, replacement of the existing flat roof with a new insulated covering, and repairs to the glazed vaulted roof over the arcade. The council report says those interventions improve the condition and appearance of the building and help preserve and enhance the character of the surrounding conservation area.
The first through fourth floors were last used as offices and have been vacant for several years. The building, which opened in 1899 and is described as the city’s oldest shopping centre, is known for Victorian Baroque architecture and was modelled on London’s Burlington Arcade.
Icon Heritage Limited, based in Darwen, submitted the current plan. A similar concept approved 11 years ago included a new restaurant and roof garden, but that project did not move forward. This time, planning documents also note there have been no objections from required consultees or from the public. The Victorian Society recommends a full building recording survey so historic features are photographed and documented before any loss occurs during the works.
Councillors also receive a report stating the applicant argued the project is financially unviable if it includes 30 percent of homes at a discounted affordable housing rate, as required by local policy.
Read the full, original article from Lancashire Evening Post here.