We learn today that Preston City Council's planning committee has rejected two separate schemes to build housing and flats in Preston City Centre.

One was a plan by Eastern Estates to knock down a warehouse in Church Row off Church Street, in order to build 54 flats and 6 shops, the other was an application by Oberston Holdings SA to build 54 apartments on a car park on the corner of Rose Street and Shepherd Street, behind Lava and Ignite Nightclub.

It seems to contradict European, National, Regional and even local policies and strategies, and basic common sense, that Preston City Council should oppose a hundred new dwellings on these city centre brownfield sites yet support the Riverworks project which includes plans for thousands of houses on beautiful Greenbelt/Floodplain land beside the River Ribble.

We wonder what is the explanation for this perversion of our council's housing priorities, that seems to put the interests of powerful developers ahead of the needs of nature and local people?

What is clear is that if the council ever says "We have to build housing on greenbelt and floodplain land by the Ribble, because we just can't find brownfield sites to build on", everyone will know that this is simply not true.