The Commission for New Towns has sold a 23-acre site in the Preston North Employment Area by informal tender to Peel Investments. The site is the subject of a planning application for a 200,000-sq ft retail park — one of five major retail proposals in the area. Peel are understood to have a definite interest in about 120,000 sq ft of the space.
The four other schemes (200,000 sq ft from Balfour Beatty/Preston council at Preston Docks; 150,000 sq ft from landowners Thomas Croft at the old Holme Slack works; 98,000 sq ft from South Ribble council/Pentith Developments at Winery Lane; and a 61,400-sq ft Sainsbury’s) are all now the subject of an article 10 direction from the DOE.
CNT appealed against the non-determination of its application by Preston council before the direction was made. An appeal date has been set in mid July, but a new application was submitted at the end of last week and Preston council expects this to be made the subject of a similar direction shortly.
Richard Ellis’ Manchester office have acted for the commission throughout. Peel were advised by Roger Parker & Co and Harvey Spack Field & Co.
