A significant development in Chorley has reached a milestone with the council’s approval of plans to transform the former Chorley Magistrates’ Court into a 52-apartment accommodation block.
The site, located in the town centre at St Thomas’s Square, has lain vacant since 2018 when court cases were reassigned to Preston Magistrates’ Court. The redevelopment will include the demolition of the existing structure and the construction of an 11-storey building, designed to complement the neighbouring Chorley Town Hall and other historic buildings. The new building will feature a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, distributed across the first to eleventh floors, with a roof terrace and three commercial units on the ground floor.
PWA Planning partnered with its client to secure full planning permission for this ambitious project. Dan Hughes, Planning Director at PWA Planning, highlighted that their application was the result of detailed pre-application discussions with planning officers that began three years ago. This extensive consultation aimed to ensure the viability and suitability of the proposed development for the former court site.
Hughes elaborated, ‘The proposed development will provide a landmark building in support of the council’s regeneration plans for the town centre, as well as delivering much needed open market homes in Chorley that will be desirable because of their town centre location.’
Meanwhile, Walker & Williams, the client behind the project, expressed pride in advancing this high-quality scheme. Max Walker-Williams stated, ‘We’re proud to be bringing forward this high-quality scheme of apartments that will provide new town centre living opportunities for Chorley. Our thanks to the whole project team for their determination and dedication in helping us get this planning approval over the line.’
The project now moves to the next stage, where securing a development partner and initiating construction will be the focus. The project team comprises several specialist firms, including FWP as architects, E3P for coal mining assessment, S106 Management for viability assessment, Chris O’Flaherty for heritage consultancy, REFORD Consulting Engineers for flood risk and drainage assessment, Batworker Ecological Consultancy for ecological assessment, PSA Design for transport consultancy, and Urban Green Space for the tall building assessment.
The redevelopment of Chorley Magistrates’ Court marks a significant step in the town’s ongoing regeneration efforts, promising to deliver essential housing and commercial space in a prime location.