Preston City Council invited CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) to comment on design proposals for the Horrocks area. CABE expressed concerns over the lack of attention paid to established urban design principles and suggested that a fundamental rethink was required.

BSP Masteplanning was engaged to assist the design team in undertaking an analysis of the local context which then informed the preparation of an urban design strategy for the wider area and an indicative masterplan for the development site. A key design decision was to utilise multi-storey and basement car parking which allowed the formation of a network of pedestrianised streets and spaces. The proposed uses included retail, business, residential and a hotel.

The revised proposals were considered by the CABE Design Review Panel and the following is an extract from their formal response dated 5 th February 2007:

“It is extremely encouraging to see the analysis of the wider urban form around the site, and the use of this to inform a suggested new urban structure for the whole area. The indicative masterplan establishes a promising framework of urban blocks, streets and clearly defined spaces. The permeability afforded by the proposed network of routes is welcomed and the massing of built form appears both coherent and appropriate”.