£65m development could bring 1,500 jobs to Preston

Planning permission is being sought for a new 25-hectare development which would bring as many as 1,500 jobs to Preston.

The £65m project would deliver in the region of 800,000 sq ft of additional industrial and warehouse space alongside the existing Roman Way Industrial Estate. It is being led by HBD and the Barnfield Group, who have submitted outline planning permission.

Chris Newsome, senior development surveyor at HBD, said: "The site is very well-connected, close to the motorway network and within just 1.2 miles of the M6, making it an ideal location for an industrial scheme of this calibre.

"It also sits adjacent to the very successful Roman Way Industrial Estate and would help to address the shortage of high-quality industrial space within the region, while providing thousands of new jobs.”

HBD and Barnfield have worked closely with the council since 2020 when initial pre-application discussions began.

Since then, a range of technical experts and specialist consultants have been involved in completing comprehensive site assessments, alongside architects Fletcher Rae and Iceni Planning Consultants.

Ridge was tasked with assessing flood risk and drainage, Bowland handled ecology and arboriculture, Mode managed highways, Sandy Brown handled acoustics and Applied Geology has considered any geo-environmental factors. Dean Young of Young &Co acted for the landowner.

If the planning application is successful, infrastructure work would start on site later this year.