Bid to bring government offices to redeveloped Preston site

The government is being urged to make a regional outpost of one of its biggest departments the centrepiece of a long-planned transformation of Preston city centre.

A vision for the regeneration of an area branded the ‘Station Quarter’ – based around the Fishergate Shopping Centre – was first unveiled back in 2022.   

The first phase of the proposal – for which formal plans were submitted to Preston City Council last December – would see the creation of five office blocks on the current car park of the retail facility.

The buildings – between nine and 15 storeys tall – would offer the kind of ‘Grade A’ office space Preston is deemed to lack.

The aim is to attract public and private sector organisations to the development – both by bringing in new companies and government departments to Preston and retaining those already in the city, but currently based in other accommodation.   

However, there was disappointment last year when Preston failed to appear on a list of 13 out-of-London locations to which thousands of civil servants are expected to be relocated by the end of the decade. 

During a debate in Parliament last month about investment in Lancashire, Ribble Valley MP Maya Ellis – whose constituency covers northern Preston and parts of South Ribble near the city – asked the government whether it would “progress the office relocation requirements of His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as an anchor tenant to bring forward a new office quarter around Preston station”.

Her question did not get a direct answer, but was one of several seemingly designed to put specific investment opportunities on the government’s radar.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands a broader lobbying operation is under way to try to secure government occupation of some of the proposed new Butler Street blocks opposite the railway station.

The LDRS approached HMRC and the Cabinet Office for comment about any plans for civil service relocations to – or within – Preston. 

It is understood a long-term commitment made by HMRC in 2023 to having a base in Preston remains unchanged – but it is not known whether that might ultimately mean a move to the Station Quarter site, should that scheme go ahead.

Preston is also home to staff from the Department for Work and Pensions who were retained in the city in spite of the closure of that department’s previous Preston offices three years ago.   

A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council said:  “Preston Station Quarter is one of Lancashire’s most significant place-shaping regeneration opportunities, with strong potential to attract major employers and create high-quality jobs.

“We are working closely with partners including Preston City Council and the University of Lancashire with an economic ambition to deliver a long-term vision for the area, focused on high-quality office space, improved connectivity and a modern commercial environment that supports economic growth.

“We have consistently made the case for investment in Preston and the wider Lancashire economy, including the importance of attracting major public and private sector organisations to the area.”