Employment land allocations site descriptions

Preston Local Plan 2004 Allocations

EP1.1 Former Whittingham Hospital

This site, the former Whittingham Hospital located on Whittingham Lane, Goosnargh, is allocated for the provision of business or industrial development in line with Preston Local Plan (2004).

This former NHS owned site is now owned by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The most recent planning application submitted for the site permits 9000 square metres (Class B1) office and light industrial uses within an Employment Park.

The business space will be developable in two separate phases, initially comprising office and starter business units.

The site is identified as Mixed Use in the Preston, Chorley and South Ribble Employment Land Review 2009 (ELR).

EP1.2 Red Scar Site H

This site, measuring 2.75 hectares, was previously allocated in the Preston Local Plan (2004) for employment uses. The site is located on the southern edge of the Red Scar Industrial Estate within a Biological Heritage Site.

Mitigation against any negative impact on the Biological Heritage Site has been sought through landscaping and ecological measures indicated in the illustrative site masterplan and aided by the development of Pope Lane Field Nature Reserve to the south of the site.

The site is identified as Good Urban in the ELR.

Commitments on Allocated Sites

EP1.3 Preston East Employment Area

This site is located adjacent to and stretches to the east of the east loop of M6 Junction 31A and was previously allocated in the Preston Local Plan (2004) for employment uses.

A significant proportion of this HCA owned site has been taken up. The site is identified as Best Urban in the ELR.

EP1.4 Red Scar Industrial Estate

This large regular shaped site, measuring 21.31 hectares, is located to the east of the M6 adjacent to Millennium City Park and Roman Way Industrial Estate and is accessible from Longridge Road (B6243) and from M6 Junction 31A via Bluebell Way (B6242).

This site was previously allocated in the Preston Local Plan (2004) for employment uses. The southern edge of the site is within a Biological Heritage Site. Mitigation has been sought to prevent any negative impacts on the Biological Heritage Site caused by the development of this site, through the development of the Pope Lane Field Nature Reserve to the south of the site and through the illustrative site masterplan.

Outline planning permission was granted in 2006 for an extension, to the south and to the east, of Red Scar Business Park for general industrial uses (Class B2) and storage and distribution uses (Class B8) including landscaping and the creation of an ecological habitat. An illustrative masterplan was submitted with a reserve matters submission in 2009.

The site is identified as Good Urban in the ELR.

EP1.5 Millennium City Park

Land at Millennium City Park, measuring 4.16 hectares was previously allocated in the Preston Local Plan (2004) for employment uses. The available land is made up of two sites.

This flat and regularly shaped employment site is to the east of the M6, south of Junction 31A, near to Red Scar Industrial Complex and Preston East Employment Area. The site has a purpose built internal road network and access is gained from Bluebell Way (B6242).

The site is in multiple ownerships. Development of this site will assist in improving the economic activity of the area.

The site is identified as Best Urban in the ELR.

EP1.6 Site at Junction 31A M6 West Loop

The site, total area 3.37ha, is identified as mixed use in the Employment Land Review and is shown as such on the Policies Map, of that area, about 1 ha. is considered suitable for the erection of a hotel (Use Class C1) and, for that reason, the site is listed in Policy EP1 as 2.37ha for B1(b) or B1(c) uses.

It is recognised, however, that a range of uses ancillary to the main employment use, including A3 and A4 retail and sui generis uses, could be located appropriately within the site.

EP1.7 Land North of Eastway (formerly Broughton Business Park)

The majority of the site located to the north of Eastway and south of D'Urton Lane was formerly identified for employment purposes but is now allocated for primarily residential development as part of the North West Preston Strategic Location (Policy MD2). However, a small proportion of the site (2.1ha) remains allocated for employment uses.

The site is identified as Mixed Use (MU) in the ELR.

EP1.8 Deepdale Street / Fletcher Road

This site, measuring 0.49 hectares, is within the Deepdale Street/Fletcher Road Coal Yard and was subject to Policy SS23 (Deepdale Street/Fletcher Road Coal Yard) of the Preston Local Plan (2004).

Policy SS23 favoured development of the site for business, industrial or storage/ distribution uses (B1, B2, B8) or sui generis rail related uses which make effective use of the railway for the transport of goods. Site EP1.8 is allocated for B1, B2 and B8 use classes.

The site is identified as Good Urban in the ELR.

EP1.9 Riversway

The allocation of employment land at Riversway is distributed between two sites, both were previously allocated for employment uses in the Preston Local Plan (2004) and owned by Preston City Council.

The first site is located on reclaimed dockland area on the north bank of the River Ribble, accessed from Lockside Road. Full planning permission was granted in 2005 for a mixed use development (Classes B1 and C3).

This site is located within a Flood Zone 3 area so it will be necessary to demonstrate that flood alleviation measures already exist or will be provided by the developer.

The second site is also located on reclaimed dockland area on the north bank of the River Ribble with access gained from Chain Caul Road.

The River Ribble is a Biological Heritage Site and any development of these sites should not have an adverse impact on the River Ribble Biological Heritage Site and would have to incorporate features to facilitate the movement of wildlife, due to the sensitive location of the sites bordering a wildlife corridor.

The site is identified as Good Urban in the ELR.

Proposed New Allocations

EP1.10 Preston East Junction 31A M6

This area of undeveloped land, measuring 25.5 hectares, is located to the north of M6 Junction 31A adjacent to the well-established Preston East Employment Area.

The site is owned by the HCA.

Due to the size of the site, and the surrounding sensitive land uses, the HCA have prepared a Development Statement for the site, which would need to be refined further as part of the planning application process.

Substantial landscaped buffers, as proposed in the Development Statement, will be required as part of any development proposals to allow screening between the neighbouring dwellings to the north of the site and the employment site and to provide additional screening between the employment site and the land to the south (occupied by a large storage and distribution depot).

The site is suitable for B2 (general industry) uses. Its close proximity to the M6 motorway and existing Preston East Employment Area road infrastructure also makes it particularly suitable for B8 uses (storage and distribution).

EP1.11 Roman Road Farm

This area of undeveloped land, measuring 24.9 hectares, is located to the east of Junction 31A of the M6, adjacent to the existing well established Roman Way Industrial Estate. Access can be gained easily from Longridge Road through the existing industrial estate.

The site borders onto the Red Scar and Tun Brook Woods Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the Tun Brook. It is imperative that development of this site would not destroy or damage the SSSI and/or impact negatively on any associated ecological network and/ or ecosystem services.

The SSSI is also a Wildlife Trust nature reserve and accessibility for management works and monitoring is essential. Consequently a comprehensive development brief and masterplan would be required.