John Lewis pulls out of £700 million development

BDP’s Tithebarn scheme in Preston has been axed after anchor tenant John Lewis pulled out of the project, giving hope that the city’s bus station might be saved.

The £700 million Lend Lease development, whose plans included the demolition of Preston Bus Station, is “no longer financially viable and will not now be going ahead in its current form”, said council bosses today.

Councillor Peter Rankin, leader of Preston City Council, hinted that the position on the sixties bus station could be reconsidered.

“The opportunity that now presents itself means that we can review all our buildings and assets in a new way,” he said.

Rankin added: “Our aim though is to still re-generate the Tithebarn area of the city.

“Our development partner Lend Lease is working with us to rethink the proposals for Preston city centre, and together we are exploring how best to achieve the city’s ambitions to offer a wider range of quality shopping, more leisure and mixed use of the city centre, including new offices and homes.”

Last month Preston Bus Station was added to a schedule of the world’s endangered cultural monuments by the World Monuments Funds.

The bus station was built in 1969 and designed by BDP. A listing application made by the Twentieth Century Society and supported by English Heritage was turned down last February.