Harris Museum: Preston Council approves renovation plans

The Harris Museum was designed by local architect and former city mayor James Hibbert

Controversial plans to alter a "magnificent" Grade I-listed building have been approved, despite concerns from a historical society.

Preston City Council announced a £10.7m scheme to "conserve and reveal" the original 19th Century architecture of the Harris Museum in November.

The Victorian Society warned it would "cause significant harm to the building's architectural character".

But the council insisted "we can't preserve things forever".

The authority's plans included "accentuating an original entrance", installing a ground floor "Changing Places" facility and infilling a loggia - an open-sided roofed gallery - to house a new lift and staircase.

The Victorian Society said it had "major" concerns about changes to an entrance and a loggia

The Victorian Society, which called the Harris "one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in the country" noted its disapproval when the plans were announced.

It said: "The applicants have shown great concern for the interiors of the building, but have failed to apply the same care to the exteriors, where the proposed changes will cause significant harm to the building's architectural character.

"Such vital parts of our heritage must be protected from needless and irrevocable alteration for the worse."

The scheme was unanimously approved earlier after the deputy leader of the council, Peter Moss, said: "The responsibility on all of us to ensure that the Harris is looked after in the right manner bears heavily on us.

"Whilst I understand the concerns of the Victorian Society, and certainly have some empathy for what they have to say, we can't preserve things forever and things need to change from time to time in order to make buildings workable."

The Harris Museum was designed by local architect and former city mayor James Hibbert, who built many of the buildings in Preston, and opened in 1893.

The Victorian Society has been approached for a fresh comment on the decision.