Union Carriage Works

17/03/2020

We have moved this page to Etc Urban Developments

Please visit Etc Urban Developments for regular news and updates on The Union Carriageworks and The Union Lofts.

03/02/2020

An 'Open House' evening is taking place at The Union Lofts on Thursday February 6 to show off the architecture and design of the completed loft apartment project in Preston.

Hosted by estate agent Michael Bailey from 3pm - 8pm, the Twilight viewing is open to all who want to see how fantastic architecture and imaginative design has transformed a once derelict building in Guildhall Street, behind Winckley Square.

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An 'Open House' evening is taking place at The Union Lofts on Thursday February 6 to show off the architecture and design of the completed loft apartment project in Preston. Hosted by estate agent Michael Bailey, the Twilight viewing is open to all who take an interest in City Living in Preston and....

21/01/2020

Rightmove has recorded its largest ever rise in house prices for the Christmas and New Year period with enquiries to estate agents up by 12% and a 7.1% increase in the number of sales agreed.

Apartments at The Union Lofts went on sale on Christmas Eve and demand for the Guildhall Street lofts has reflected the national picture.

However, the 2.3% rise in new seller asking prices - the largest Rightmove has recorded at this time of year since its House Price Index began in 2002 - has not been passed on to buyers in The Union Lofts.

Estate agent Michael Bailey says prices in January 2020 remain the same as in 2019 - with the spacious new homes priced well below the national average.

Rightmove, where apartments in The Union Lofts are listed for sale, says first-time buyers nationally are now looking at paying £193,103 for their first home. The average price of apartments at The Union Lofts is 10% less than that and 42% below the national average asking price for new homes.

The housing market is springing into life after December's election result delivered much-needed stability, new data from Rightmove's House Price Index reveals.

18/01/2020

17/01/2020

Pop down for a look at our apartments, which we feel are redefining city living in Preston.

Open Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th from 10 am to 4 pm.

It would be great to get your feedback on the apartments.

07/01/2020

The £3.5 million transformation of an historic carriage works in Preston into the city’s first loft apartments and offices has been completed.

Etc Urban Developments has successfully redesigned the late Victorian building in Guildhall Street to retain original industrial features in 18 spacious duplex apartments created in an urban loft style.

The new homes, now known as The Union Lofts, are on sale through Preston estate agent Michael Bailey and sit above 4,000 sq ft of industrial chic ground floor space suitable for fit out to Grade A office standards.

The street level commercial space comes with planning consent for B1 office use and is also for sale through Preston’s Morgan Martin.

Etc Urban uncovered the history of the former carriage and auto car manufactory, built in 1897 by Preston carriage builder James Walmsley & Co and named The Union Carriage Works, and the original name has now been restored to the warehouse style building.

The Union Carriage Works sits in the heart of the Winckley Square Conservation Area, but had lain derelict for decades despite being just 150m from Fishergate.

It is one of the first historic buildings in the city centre to be reinvented for the 21st century and forms a leading part of Preston’s City Living Strategy for the next decade, which aims to see similar, high quality residential schemes across the centre.

The whole project has been designed by Chase Architecture, whose head architect, Philip Thornton, was one of Sir Terence Conran’s chief designers for 15 years and is one of the UK’s leading urban residential architects.

Work on the 3, 2 and 1 bedroom apartments has being carried out by Manchester-headquartered Workspace Design & Build and includes a secure basement car park for owners and residents.

A show apartment is open to view unveiling the design and style of the apartments and the full use of original features.

Nine of the spacious apartments, which measure up to 1,025 sq ft, come with large west-facing roof terraces overlooking Winckley Square.

Etc Urban Developments is a property company specialising in original, high-quality city living projects and its ambitious city centre apartment plan has been supported by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership’s £20 million Growing Places Investment Fund.

The team behind Etc Urban, which is based in Preston and London, has wide experience delivering innovative, high-quality city centre residential projects across the UK.

Neil Thornton, director of Etc Urban Developments, said: “The Union Lofts are complete and the wait is over. All 18 loft apartments are unique and we are extremely happy with the quality and style.

“It’s taken a lot of vision and belief to have converted a forgotten 123-year-old warehouse, that had been left abandoned for decades, into a stylish residential scheme that is now a flagship development for Preston.

“For people who want to live in the heart of the city, there really is nothing else like this available to buy their own home which has character and history.

“The commercial space, too, will bring life and vitality at street level and the mixed use scheme can act as a catalyst for further regeneration and residential projects, helping to drive economic growth and create jobs in and around Preston’s city centre.”

The Etc Urban Developments team has 20 years’ experience designing, converting and marketing city centre residential and commercial projects.

The company’s architects, designers and sales and marketing experts have worked on regeneration projects across the UK, including the Northern Quarter and Ancoats in Manchester, Liverpool waterfront, Southbank in London and residential-led regeneration schemes in Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Cardiff.

It has also been involved in projects in London, New York, Tokyo and Berlin.
The Union Carriage Works sets a benchmark of quality architecture and interior design providing a real sense of space.

For more information about Etc Urban Developments and the Guildhall Street project please visit: www.etcurban.co.uk

To register your interest in buying a new home please contact Michael Bailey on 07828 630 194 or email [email protected]

22/01/2019

An historic warehouse in Preston’s business district is for sale and suitable for conversion into the city centre’s only Grade A office space.

The Union Carriage Works in Guildhall Street is being converted into loft apartments by Etc Urban Developments.

The Preston and Soho, London, based developer has put the entire ground floor up for sale aiming to attract a buyer seeking to fit out their own custom designed offices.

Preston has an acute shortage of modern Grade A office accommodation and the opportunity to take over 3,700 sq ft in the heart of the city and in a beautiful, atmospheric late Victorian warehouse is exceedingly rare.

Charles Bell of commercial agent Morgan Martin is selling the space. He said: “The premises form part of The Union Carriage Works which is currently undergoing a programme of refurbishment and redevelopment to create 18 loft apartments on the upper floors.

“The ground floor offers self-contained accommodation which will benefit from new full height shopfronts and entrance doors, exposed timber floor boards and brick works internally with acoustic board ceiling.

“This blank canvas gives a purchaser an unusual opportunity to fit out the accommodation to their own specification.”

The ground floor of The Union Carriage Works already has planning consent for restaurant use, but Etc Urban believes the demand from office occupiers will exceed interest from the food and drink trade.

Buying office space using directors’ personal pension funds is a popular way for businesses, particularly in professional services, to invest in their own office and future.

Recent examples of companies buying buildings in the city centre for office use include Soap Media in Glover’s Court, Anderton Gables in Cross Street and Wash Design in Winckley Square.

Neil Thornton, director of Etc Urban, said: “We’ve considered various ideas for the ground floor of The Union Carriage Works and it will suit a variety of uses from restaurant, to retail to office or gallery space.

“The lack of any Grade A office accommodation in Preston city centre strongly suggests there is a pent up demand for it right now and we know of several professional service companies who are actively looking to purchase their own offices.

“There are not many opportunities to buy a genuine piece of Preston’s industrial past – in such a fantastic location - with a lot of history and turn it into your own bespoke space.

“We have taken a lot of effort to get a shell and core space ready for a bespoke fit-out and we have refurbished all the external features and installed new entrances, doors and windows. We can also help with the design of the office space if required.

“With a stylish fit-out, The Union Carriage Works will be Preston’s best-looking office accommodation by some distance.”

The ground floor of The Union Carriage Works is expected to be ready to occupy from April 1, 2019.

For more information please contact Charles Bell at Morgan Martin on 01772 556666 or email [email protected]