Some of the Preston buildings the heritage group is concerned about:
Historical buildings like the Tithebarn pub, Harris Institute, St Joseph’s orphanage, and Edith Rigby’s home are deteriorating.
Rachael Bryson, from Preserving Preston’s Heritage, stresses the urgency of saving these buildings.
The Preston City Council, in partnership with police and fire services, created a task force to work with private owners and force action if needed.
Councilor Freddie Bailey acknowledged citizens’ concerns and mentioned the council is investing millions into restoring publicly owned buildings.
Many at-risk buildings are privately owned, making direct intervention challenging.
Issues include safety risks, anti-social behavior, and lack of security.
After fires at St Joseph’s Orphanage and Church Street, Preston Council launched a task force to tackle empty and unsafe buildings.
Councilor Valerie Wise emphasized the duty to protect historic buildings, warning formal action would be taken if owners neglect responsibilities.
Police reminded the public that derelict buildings are dangerous and warned trespassers to stay out.
The council aims to encourage responsible redevelopment and revive Preston’s heritage through cooperation and investment.
📘 Reading Comprehension Questions
1. What actions is the Preston City Council taking to address the issue?
2. What challenges do the council face in preserving these buildings?
3. Why are these buildings at risk, according to the police and fire services?
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Heritage campaigners in a city are trying to help save some historical buildings from being damaged or lost to fire, vandalism and dereliction.
The city council has set up a task force to try to work with private owners to try to safeguard the properties.
In collaboration with Preston police and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, the council task force will focus on ensuring building owners take responsibility for the safety and security of their properties.
The local authority has said the neglect of some empty buildings in the city centre had resulted in "significant challenges", including fire risks, water damage, and anti-social behaviour.
Councillor Freddie Bailey, cabinet member for environment and community safety, said: "It's really heartwarming to see that people do genuinely take pride in this and we understand their frustration because we feel it too.
"The majority of these buildings are in private ownership and it's a real shame that we can't be directly invested in them ourselves, but we're spending £200m in the city centre on assets that we own.
"We're engaging a lot more with the owners now and we're going to take a much more hardline approach on them securing their buildings and then get more investment in them so we can protect them for the future."
He said the authority was looking for investment for the Tithebarn pub, and was "spending about £7m on Amounderness House and millions on the Harris".
"We're looking at doing investment in our heritage assets and we need other people to follow suit," he said.
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A task force has been set up to deal with empty and derelict buildings in a city amid growing concerns around safety.
The police have also issued a warning to trespassers.
"Access to these buildings is restricted for a reason," the force said. "They are unsafe to enter and can pose a significant risk to those who trespass.
"Unfortunately, some have become an attraction for people who are not aware of the dangers that they pose.
"We would like to remind building owners that it is their responsibility to prevent access to these dangerous sites and our officers will continue to conduct regular patrols of the area."