Winckley Square Regeneration Project Secures Heritage Lottery Fund Investment

Preston City Council and partners Lancashire County Council and Winckley Square Community Interest Company have received a confirmed grant of £945,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the Winckley Square project, it was announced today. The project aims to enhance the wider Winckley Square area's existing qualities through sensitive conservation based regeneration and re-energise it as a successful business location, one which is seen as a prestigious place to work, live and spend leisure time, as one of the city centre's opportunity areas.

With this funding, the project will endeavour to enhance the townscape through quality repair and refurbishment of key groups of buildings to support city-wide regeneration for the benefit of community and businesses in the area. This includes bringing vacant premises back into use; enhancing the area’s historic streetscape; and providing training in heritage skills for contractors, property owners and others involved in the management of the historic environment.

Winckley Square is one of the finest examples of a Georgian square in the north of England, housing over 40 Grade II listed buildings which provide the area with great character. Centred around open gardens, the square is home to some fantastic Georgian architecture, which was once an exclusive residential area. Notable historical residents of Winckley Square included wealthy banker Richard Newsham, Thomas Miller of Horrockses Miller and Co., cotton empire and suffragette Edith Rigby. The square has also accommodated educational and religious institutes such as St Wilfred’s Catholic Church (1793), a grammar school (1841), Literary and Philosophical Institute (1846), Catholic grammar school (1865) and a convent (1875).

Councillor Peter Rankin, of Preston City Council, said: “We’re delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this grant. Winckley is an important Preston area for businesses, residents and visitors and this regeneration project will improve the area for everyone.”

Councillor Jennifer Mein, leader of Lancashire County Council said, "This is a big step towards the overall regeneration of Preston city centre, and complements the work that we're already doing on Fishergate to make it a nicer space for shoppers and businesses. We want to encourage new jobs and investment in a way that works sympathetically with the history and heritage of the square."

Simon Turner, a director of the Winckley Square Community Interest Company (WSCIC), a company that is helping lead a separate £1million to HLF to enhance Winckley Square gardens, said:
“This is brilliant news. We have been fortunate to see the plans and they are simple, sympathetic yet transformational. It’s another indicator that points to Preston’s health getting stronger. I’ve seen first-hand the effort and skill that has gone into the bid and the respective teams should be applauded. Our own bid will be submitted in February 2015 and should we have similar success it will breathe new life into a very important historical and economic area.”

Sara Hilton, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund North West England, said: “Winckley Square is one of the North West’s finest surviving examples of a privately planned Georgian square. We are delighted to support this project that will restore and conserve historic buildings while at the same time providing them with a new lease of life that will add to the economic vibrancy of the area.”

ENDS  

Media Enquiries, Shirah Bamber, Senior Communications Officer at Preston City Council. 01772 906349,