North west news update 16 Feb 2024: Concerns over high street store's use as snail farm

Assistant editor Iain Lynn with today's top north west news headlines and weather

Transcript

00:00 Hello and welcome, these are the top headlines making the news today from our newsrooms across

00:04 the North West. A council investigation has been launched into claims that the former

00:08 British Home Stores building in Preston City Centre has been used as a snail farm. Preston

00:13 City Council is looking into the bizarre suggestion about slimy goings on behind the shutters

00:17 of the Prime Retail premises on Fishergate. The unit has stood empty since the much-loved

00:22 apartment store chain collapsed in 2016, with the Preston branch being amongst the first

00:27 of 160 to close its doors that summer. Residents living close to a proposed children's home

00:33 in St Anne's have raised concern that the location of the property is not suitable or

00:36 safe. They say its close proximity to an adjacent railway line, its location on a busy and dangerous

00:41 road with a bend on it and in cases of drug dealing in the wider vicinity make it an unsafe

00:46 locality for vulnerable young people. Residents in the area have also complained that there's

00:50 been limited information about the plans divulged to those living close to the site. However,

00:55 applicants Creative Living Care Limited say that the location has been fully assessed

01:00 and is deemed suitable for the plans. A homeless Wigan woman has been accused of burglary and

01:05 attacking a police officer. 40-year-old Yvonne Allen of no fixed address appeared before

01:10 Borough Justices charged with breaking into a house on Spring Street in Ince on October

01:15 2nd last year and to stealing cigarettes, food and a torch, plus also with assaulting

01:19 emergency worker Annabel Stewart on February 9th. She was remanded into custody until she

01:24 appears again at the same court on February 20th. A new pavilion restaurant with a sense

01:31 of theatre will be built at Michelin starred Northcote Manor after plans got the green

01:34 light. Ribble Valley Borough Council has given full permission for the new single storey

01:39 building on grazing land which is part of a master plan by owners Stafford Collection

01:44 to create an iconic leisure destination with a strong local outreach and global recognition.

01:51 Plans for a new eco-friendly holiday destination just south of Lancaster could be refused by

01:55 City Council as later this month. The LL Eco Park or Holiday Village is proposed to open

02:00 fully by the end of 2029, would include up to 450 lodges and pods, a marketplace and

02:05 up to 25 artisan pods, a hotel and a virtual reality experience building if it was given

02:11 the green light. But almost 800 residents lodged objections with the City Council about

02:16 the development, sharing concerns about the detrimental effect it would have on wildlife

02:21 as well as traffic and heritage issues. In the weather, Friday looks set to stay cloudy

02:26 and some showers are possible but it should brighten up this afternoon. Saturday looks

02:29 similar with some heavy rain possible in the afternoon although Sunday does look a little

02:34 bit brighter. That's it for now, thanks for watching, have a great weekend.

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