Plans approved for £40 million ‘Altura’ – Lancashire’s tallest residential tower block in Preston.

Plans approved for £40 million ‘Altura’ – Lancashire’s tallest residential tower block in Preston.

Planning consent has now been granted for a significant new addition to Preston’s skyline – a development that feels both timely and important for the city.

Preston’s skyline remains modest in scale, despite the city’s growing ambitions for regeneration, city living and inward investment. This project begins to signal a new direction – representing not only new homes and investment, but also a visible confidence in the city’s future.

The scheme has been carefully considered within its urban context. Rising to almost twice the height of neighbouring buildings, the upper floors will offer expansive views across the surrounding Lancashire countryside – a perspective rarely experienced from within the city centre itself. While prominent in scale, the building forms part of a cluster of taller buildings, where the gradual increase in height across the skyline feels appropriate for this part of the city.

Much of this area was dramatically reconfigured during the 1960s alongside the construction of the now Grade II listed Preston Bus Station – still the largest bus station in the UK and one of the city’s defining civic landmarks. This next chapter continues that story of transformation, but with a renewed emphasis on design quality, residential density and urban living.

Preston City Council’s aspirations for city centre living continue with this new development, which sits alongside the recently converted City Walk – also offering high-quality apartments with incredible views over the listed bus station – and the newly built Exchange.

This project demonstrates the ambition and dedication of both the client and the design team, and we feel privileged to play a part in this exciting opportunity for the city.