Preston housebuilding must halt until schools built, councillor says

John Potter said a "black hole" had opened up in the £434m infrastructure plan

A city's housebuilding programme cannot continue at its current rate unless three schools are also built, a councillor has said.

Authorities in Preston, Lancashire and South Ribble signed a deal in 2017, which included a plan for 17,000 homes.

Lancashire councillor John Potter said promised accompanying infrastructure had failed to materialise.

A senior Lancashire County Council member said it was an issue the three councils were "acutely aware of".

Mr Potter, who represents Preston West on the county council, said a "black hole" had opened up in the £434m infrastructure plan to support thousands of new homes and 20,000 jobs across central Lancashire.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said about 5,500 of the properties are expected to be built in north-west Preston over a 20-year period.

'Not a community'

The masterplan said the proposed development between Cottam and the M55 was likely to require two new primary schools and a secondary school.

Figures show that in September, 3,442 dwellings had been granted planning permission, with 1,709 having actually been built, but no work had begun on the planned schools.

Cllr Potter said the deal included the expectation that the new arrivals and existing community would "benefit from new infrastructure [such as] roads, schools and shops".

"I don't think new houses can be built in north-west Preston... if there are not going to be any community assets," he said.

"If it's just houses, then it's not a community, and we want a community being built."

Aidy Riggott, Lancashire County Council's cabinet member for economic development and growth, said ensuring appropriate school provision was available was a "matter that we are acutely aware of and actively seeking to ensure".

He said the situation was being monitored closely to confirm when additional school places would be needed.

David Borrow, cabinet member for planning and regulation at Preston City Council, added that developers were "required to reserve land for new schools, as set out in the masterplan".