County Hall chimneys face removal over safety fears

A trio of chimneys are set to be removed from Lancashire County Council's headquarters after their long-term stability was called into question.

More than a dozen chimney stacks sit on the roof of County Hall in Preston. The three earmarked for removal are on the building's south-west corner and are taller and more slender than many of the others.

An assessment carried out as part of roof and façade works found the stacks "may become unstable and will require additional maintenance in the future".

The council's property service has submitted an application to its independent planning department requesting permission to dismantle the redundant chimneys. Preston City Council has also been consulted.

A spokesperson for the authority said: "Given their location within a conservation area, we have submitted a planning application to seek advice on whether any changes would be acceptable.

"The application forms part of that assessment process and no decisions have been taken."

County Hall opened in 1882 as a county courthouse and later housed a new headquarters for Lancashire Police.

It became the base of the newly created county council in 1889, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

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