Preston car park plan resurrected

The majority of the site once occupied by the Odeon Cinema and Tokyo Jo’s nightclub in Preston could be turned into a permanent car park.

Fresh plans have been lodged for the city centre plot, off Church Street, much of which was cleared after a huge blaze tore through the two buildings in May 2022. At that point, the cinema had been empty for 30 years and the nightspot had gone through several reincarnations, before ending up as Evoke.

Six months later, Preston City Council’s planning committee gave the green light to the vacated land becoming a 116-space car park – but only for two years while a long-term use was sought. It operated as an effective extension of an existing pay-and-display facility at the junction of Syke Street and Main Sprit Weind, from which it was accessed.

However, in the more than 18 months since permission for the temporary parking lot lapsed, the site has stood empty – and now a proposal has been brought forward to resurrect the car park, but this time on a permanent basis.

The art deco facade of the cinema – which was spared demolition as part of the site clearance four years ago – remains up for sale and would be unaffected by the new plans.

Documents submitted to town hall officials by applicant PL Aveham Limited list a range of claimed benefits from the proposal – including bringing an empty site back into use to make a contribution to the local economy and “provide a service to visitors and businesses in the area”.

However, the time-limited permission – which went against city council planning policy – was granted only because of the “exceptional circumstances” that caused the properties on the plot to be demolished.

Two councillors for the city centre ward have now expressed concern at the prospect of a car park being the extent of the vision for the site.

Cllr Salim Desai told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the spot was “prime development land” and called for a proposal that reflected that status, “rather than having it land-banked and run as a car park”.

“This was the whole reason permission was given for a temporary car park – [that] it would give the owners time to bring forward a decent proposal.

“My idea would be to consider extending the temporary permission to give them more time to [come up with] something decent.

“If they don’t have the funding or the imagination, then maybe they should pass it along to someone who does,” said Cllr Desai, who is also Preston City Council’s cabinet member for service transformation.

His fellow ward councillor, Carol Henshaw, said using the land as a car park “was, and remains, a rather lazy and unimaginative solution”.

She added: “It seems particularly unnecessary in a city centre when we’re trying to reduce dependency on cars and improve active travel.

“It’s also a pretty uninspiring use of land in an area with so much history and some lovely architecture. I’d much rather see the site contribute positively to the character and future of the area than become a permanent car park.

The application documentation states: “The car park would be managed and maintained by the applicant, ensuring the site is operated safely. By bringing the land back into an active use, the proposal seeks to both meet some local parking demand and improve the site’s condition.

“Re-use of this brownfield site for car parking in this city centre location is, in principle, a sustainable form of development, making productive use of previously developed land.

“We note that local planning policies in Preston typically seek to manage the provision of city centre car parks to promote sustainable transport choices. However, the unique circumstances here are that the site was historically used as a car park and remains vacant, suggesting that the principle of reinstating a car park use on this land can be supported in this instance and would not set an unwanted precedent.

“Establishing a functioning car park will increase footfall and activity on and around the site, which by association improves natural surveillance and deters anti-social behaviour. The presence of vehicles and users during the day (and potentially into the evening) would provide more “eyes on the street,” contributing to a safer environment.”

Speaking to the LDRS after the November 2022 meeting at which the temporary permission was granted, now former city councillor David Borrow – then a member of the planning committee – said the short-term use may be necessary as “it takes so long” to bring forward more permanent plans.

But he warned: “The danger…is if two years becomes four years or ten years.”

To comment on the latest proposal, search for reference 06/2026/0799 at https://www.preston.gov.uk/planningservices

Following the fire, Preston City Council planning officers had raised concerns that a total clearance of the site, including the cinema facade, would have had an “unacceptable impact” on the nearby Winckley Square and Market Place conservation areas.

Lancashire County Council’s historic environment team also warned that such a move would create “a large, open vista from Church Street which would obliterate the visual aspects of the historic grain”.

County Hall recommended that the terracotta cinema frontage – as a “significant feature” which reflected the 1920s era in which it was built – should be retained either for incorporation into a replacement building or for “careful dismantling or reconstruction” as part of the redevelopment of the site.