1 Our City

Preston is one of the UK’s More than just a city, Committed to improving newest cities. We take is a vibrant and diverse the city and making its pride in our rich history and collection of characterful economy work for all our industrial heritage, and the places, spaces and people. communities, we are leading pioneers who have made Our residents value the the way in the UK with our a significant impact on a warmth and diversity of distinctive ‘Preston Model’, world stage. As the largest the city’s people, and its which harnesses the power city in , Preston strength as a place with of our anchor institutions is firmly established as a city infrastructure and a and seeks to ensure many major centre for employment town feel. Compared to more of our residents benefit and services, playing vital Manchester and Liverpool, from economic growth. economic and social roles for Preston is a lower density, Community wealth building businesses and communities walkable and more liveable is an underpinning principle across the county, and a focal city offering a wide range of of our City Investment Plan point for the arts, culture opportunities. (CIP). and leisure. We are the urban heart of a £32 billion Lancashire economy, one of the Northern Powerhouse’s largest economies with the UK’s highest concentration of aerospace production in a cluster that is the 4th biggest globally, together with nationally significant capabilities in nuclear fuel production and clean energy generation.

Figure 1.1 Location map 22 23 Our City

Scale 1 1:25,000 @ A3 We want to maintain the momentum of change in Figure 1.3 Preston Town Deal Area our city, a Community City, putting the richness of life Population of 141,800, 70% living within reach by meeting the in the City Investment Plan area demands of 21st century life whilst safeguarding our cultural heritage and stories. 60%+ of Preston’s population is Our CIP is an ambitious aged under 44 strategy centred on our people and focused on sustainable and shared 73,000 working residents in 2019 prosperity which is shaped by our communities. At a time when the Covid-19 90,500 jobs in 2018 crisis is deeply affecting our residents and businesses, Preston contributed £3.7 billion our strategy will make a significant contribution to GVA to the UK economy in 2018 our recovery. 5,375 businesses in Preston, with 4,200 businesses in the CIP area

Figure 1.2 Preston City Investment Plan Area

24 25 1 Preston’s story Preston’s is a long and advanced manufacturing The city has a rich From the mid-20th Century, by housing growth during our transport infrastructure, fascinating history. Our city’s and engineering have played architectural history with Preston became a city of the late 20th Century, the supporting new housing origins as a market town in the evolution of the city’s built heritage spanning growing diversity through continuing development development, predominantly (Priest Town) and service economy and that of the several different periods, immigration during the of the city’s business and in the outer areas, and the centre remain a feature of the surrounding Lancashire area contributing to a fabric of 1950s and 1960s, and in the service functions, and creation of new jobs across place it is today. The city’s which is still one of the UK’s buildings and streets which 2000s through migrants latterly with the expansion the area. Our CIP seeks to famous Guild, held every leaders in this sector. Rapid continue to be an attractive from central and eastern of the University of Central maximise the impact of 20 years, was established industrialisation and growth and living part of the heart Europe, as the European Lancashire (UCLan) which the City Deal by enabling in 1179 and continues to be cemented the city’s position of the city, with assets we Union expanded. Our has brought many more investment in the core of one of the region’s highest as a major service centre, are committed to protecting. residents recognise this is a young people, academics the city to complement and profile events. The city’s next with the financial, legal and City planning left a positive valued quality of Preston and and professionals to the further enhance the benefit Guild will be in 2032, which professional services that legacy of parks and green this diversity has become city. The city’s growth is of development in those is within the period of the 15 continue to meet the needs spaces across the urban area, a distinctive feature of the underpinned by the £430 outer areas. year CIP. of the wider area’s economy, linking the city centre to the city’s modern identity. million City Deal for Preston, and retail and leisure facilities and providing South Ribble and Lancashire, Through the 19th Century, that responded to the city’s residents with high quality Preston has continued to signed by government in the city grew rapidly large and growing population open space within the grow, reinforcing its strength 2013, which is providing a as the textiles industry catchment area. modern urban area. as the area’s principal major investment boost in laid the foundations for commercial centre, fuelled the important part that

26 27 The City has been home to the Preston Guild first established in 1179. 1 Originally an organisation of traders, craftsmen and merchants, all with a monopoly trade in the town its has grown into a celebration of all the industries across the city.

Preston’s is a long and fascinating Preston history. Our city’s origins as a market town (Priest Town) and service centre remain a feature of A Community City the place it is today. putting the richness of life within reach

28 29 1 Our City The Preston Model

Since 2011, Preston has established itself nationally as a leader in local community wealth building. Known as the Preston Model, it has delivered a series of initiatives which challenge orthodox approaches to economic development and regeneration, seek to retain more of the wealth generated within the city to the benefit of local communities, and promote social and economic inclusion. The key measures and initiatives adopted or pursued by Preston City Council and its partners include:

Real Living Wage: Harnessing Local Investing Through Public Building Cooperative Supporting Workplace Underlying all of Commitments by public Procurement: Changing Sector Assets: Investing Networks: Encouraging and Saving: Developing a sector organisations approaches to procurement in public sector land supporting the development Preston Credit Union to the activities that including Preston City by anchor institutions and assets working with of new cooperative networks, encourage workplace saving have contributed to Council to pay the real including Preston City partners through the City including the establishment by employees. Preston City community wealth living wage. Analysis by the Council, UCLan, Preston’s and Deal and including South of the first UK inner urban Council is also working with Centre for Local Economic Cardinal Newman Colleges, Ribble Council and Homes area Neighbourhood Council, the Hampshire Community building is the concept Strategies (CLES) shows that the Community Gateway England to secure additional with planning and other Bank, the Royal Society for of ‘good growth’. This 4,000 additional employees Housing Association and investment for the area, powers taken on by the the Arts and partners to is a much broader view in Preston were receiving the the Office of the Police and repurpose and develop Council and financial support promote the concept of a Real Living real living wage Crime Commissioner for buildings. Transferring the from the Big Lottery. Preston new regional bank founded of economic growth by 2018. Lancashire to retain more ownership and management Cooperative Development on community trust or that takes account expenditure within the city of key assets and providing Network and worker cooperative principles. of the wellbeing of and Lancashire. Analysis opportunities for the cooperatives, with a project by CLES found that from community ownership launched in December 2019 Securing Local Employment communities and 2012/13 to 2017/18, an of assets such as local to establish a pipeline of 10 and Training Through what matters to them additional £74 million had community centres. new worker cooperatives. Construction: Developing rather than focusing been retained in Preston and The City Council has worked a Supplementary Planning £200 million in Lancashire. with Coops UK to assist Document (Central only the expansion businesses with succession Lancashire Skills and of employment, planning and employee buy Employment SPD) which businesses and outs. specifies that developers of more than 30 homes and/ productivity. A Building Community or 1,000 sq m of commercial good growth index Capacity: Building capacity floorspace must have a skills in communities backed by a and employment plan that developed by PWC joint UCLan/Royal Society sets out how opportunities ranks Preston as the for the Arts (RSA) project to will be provided to highest of the North develop neighbourhood level Lancashire residents. activities. West’s cities and 12th nationally of 42 cities.

30 31 1 People and Our residents are proud of is the fundamental purpose Cabinet member for Preston and have strong of the Preston Model. We communities and social attachments to their city. must take our communities justice, said, “It’s been an Communities In our #WhatsYourPreston with us to build a collective extremely difficult time for us survey, a key pillar of our commitment to all we want all over the last three months Preston’s people are a major source stakeholder engagement to achieve. Our young people and we’ve found ourselves plan, residents told us and adults need the skills helping many people in a of strength for the city. Home to that friendly and warm and opportunities to fulfil variety of ways. With our people are amongst the their potential. We know that outstanding community, faith 141,000 residents with around best things about it. They lasting improvements in the and charity organisations 99,000 residents living in the area describe it as a vibrant health and wellbeing of our we have made a difference place which is growing and communities are essential, at to our most vulnerable that is the focus of our Towns Fund improving, with the strengths a time when Covid-19 has put residents and their families. and infrastructure of a public health and the vital I’m very proud that we have Investment Plan area, we have a liveable, modern city but a part that our health and care supported thousands of young and growing population compactness that gives it the services play in the spotlight. vulnerable and shielding feel of a town. New and sustainable ways residents, delivered hundreds who are the lifeblood of our city. for people to travel into and of food parcels and provided Preston’s diversity is around our city are crucial as access to medication for recognised by many of our Their skills, talent and ambition are we tackle climate change. hundreds of residents during crucial to Preston’s future economic residents as an important and this crisis. It’s a fantastic distinctive feature of the city. The City’s ongoing response example of partnership success. Our substantial Black and to Covid-19 is demonstrating working, offering support Minority Ethnic Population the strength of a Community which has been vital to many makes a key contribution City. Councillor Nweeda families who were struggling to the vibrancy of the city, Khan, Preston City Council’s during this crisis” including our enterprises, our cultural fabric and our sense of community. Nationally, Preston is part of the City of Sanctuary movement seeking to provide a welcoming environment for refugees and asylum seekers seeking sanctuary in the UK. Our CIP must ensure that economic growth and future development in Preston delivers positive change for all our residents, making the city a better place in which to live, work and invest. This 32 33 1 Strategic Assets Employment and Alongside the vital part played by Businesses our communities, Preston’s key There are around 90,000 , and the presence are continuing to focus on jobs and 6,600 businesses of major employers including supporting those businesses strategic assets are the foundations in Preston operating across BAE Systems, Westinghouse which demonstrably bring an a wide range of sectors, Springfield, James Hall & Co. economic or cultural impact for the city’s future growth and with particular strengths in and The Eric Wright Group. to the City. Lancashire’s retail and leisure, advanced Business Growth Hub, Boost, prosperity. Our plan seeks to build Covid-19 has had immediate manufacturing and is delivering a business and unprecedented impacts engineering, professional and recovery service which has on these assets, leveraging their on our business community. financial services, transport already assisted over 5,000 Preston City Council has potential to deliver our ambitious and distribution, and the businesses with support on granted rent relief and rent health and social care sector. issues including operational transformational agenda. holidays for its tenants, The city is well-established continuity, employment, as well paying out over as Lancashire’s largest finance, marketing and £30m to 2,525 businesses employment and commercial forward planning. As the under the government services centre, providing economic impacts of the business support scheme. both enabling sectors which crisis extend into Autumn The Council has already support the wider Lancashire and Winter 2020, we expect paid out interim payments economy and foundational to maintain and enhance to nearly 100 businesses sectors which meet the our recovery support under the discretionary needs of our communities. programmes. business grant scheme and The city centre has a substantial representation of multiple and independent retailers, together with a core of professional and financial services companies with regional or national operations. As well as serving the city’s 140,000 residents, it is an important retail, leisure and service centre for a wider catchment area of around 500,000 people. Outside the city centre and across the wider area, there are major commercial sites at Junction 31 of the M6 and

34 35 1 Our City Anchor Institutions Heritage and Preston’s anchor institutions and UCLan are key anchor both to the local and History are a pillar of the city’s institutions. UCLan has national response to the Central Preston is rich in community wealth building expanded substantially over Covid-19 crisis, including historic assets, with medieval initiative and a major source the past 20 years, and now through staff volunteering street patterns blended of employment for the city. employs more than 2,500 in clinical, laboratory and with 19th Century planned The headquarters of both people while also supporting pharmaceutical responses, developments, and a historic Preston City Council and employment indirectly in participation with the NHS core centred on the Flag Lancashire County Council the local economy through and other partners in the Market and the Harris provide a substantial number its expenditure on goods Lancashire Resilience Forum, Quarter, that combines and range of employment and services. In addition, the academic studies of the heritage buildings and public opportunities, driving the university contributes directly impacts of the virus, and the spaces. Our city’s heritage delivery of services across and indirectly in many other engineering and production is identified as a distinctive the city backed by significant ways to the city. It provides of Personal Protective and valuable feature of purchasing power through facilities and services Equipment. Preston by both residents their procurement of goods which are used by the local Royal Preston Hospital, and visitors, who point to and services. The city is community, it provides another anchor institution, is the need both to safeguard also home to government advice and guidance to local a major employer in the city, it and make more of it to departments and agencies, residents and business, it with 9,000 people employed support the vitality of the supporting around 4,600 helps to shape local policy and strategy, as well being in hospital related activities. city centre. civil service jobs. It is part of Lancashire a strong advocate for the Many of our heritage The city’s educational Teaching Hospitals NHS city. UCLan has made buildings and much of our institutions, Preston’s , Foundation Trust which itself important contributions heritage infrastructure are employs around 7,700 people across its area. The hospital. found at the heart of the city our NHS and community centre in the Harris Quarter. This includes the Harris The Harris Quarter, and the network of streets, retail health service providers, and and leisure facilities around it, is long-established as our social care sector, are on Museum and Art Gallery, the recently renovated markets, the city’s focal point for residents and a key point of the front line of the Covid-19 interest for visitors. A valued, historic institution in crisis and will continue to historic streets of Fishergate, Church Street and Friargate, the Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library provides a have pivotal roles as we leading arts and cultural venue at the core the city recover. a range of Grade II listed buildings around the Town centre. Investments in our markets and streetscape has Hall, and brought significant improvement in recent years. We and its Georgian architecture. have focussed on the Harris Quarter as a key priority for our CIP, both to strengthen the vital role it plays in the city, and to reflect the importance of building new and improved cultural infrastructure – events, facilities and organisations around it.

36 37 1 Our City Education, Skills Connectivity and and Innovation Economic Infrastructure UCLan is one of Preston’s to more than 20,000 Centre (EIC) providing Preston’s location and its anchor institutions, ranked students across the city and innovation excellence at the connectivity are major assets. in the top 6% of universities the surrounding area. We centre of the city, Preston is Preston is centrally located worldwide with a community have strong primary and surrounded by a network of in Lancashire within easy of 23,000 students in Preston secondary schools which innovation assets including reach of the Blackpool and and a strong track record are providing many of the Lancashire Advanced Fylde Coast, the AONB in of knowledge exchange, city’s young people with Manufacturing aerospace and East Lancashire, Cumbria innovation and business an excellent start to their aviation Enterprise Zones and the Manchester and engagement. Our two high education. in Warton and Samlesbury, Liverpool metropolitan area. performing further education anchored by BAE Systems, The city has excellent access colleges located in the heart With UCLan redeveloping the Springfield nuclear to the strategy strategic road of the city - Preston’s College its campus through its network (M6, M65, M55, M61), and Cardinal Newman – £200m masterplan, and a city centre mainline deliver excellent academic and its recently opened railway station putting and vocational education Engineering Innovation Preston half an hour from the Lake District, an hour from Manchester and Liverpool and just over 2 hours from London and Glasgow by rail. Connectivity by rail will be further enhanced through the Transforming Cities Station is an The city’s digital Fund delivery of Cottam iconic, modern and vibrant infrastructure is impressive, Parkway station, offering a public transport hub serving with most residential and sustainable travel option for a millions of passengers every business premises now new residential area in north- year. There is an opportunity having access to superfast west Preston. The arrival of to build on this regeneration or ultrafast broadband. Just HS2 in Preston would further and further enhance bus use, under 99% of residential reinforce Preston’s role as through the transformation and business premises the North West’s major rail of bus corridors across the have access to superfast hub north of Manchester, city. The Department for broadband at speeds of 30 and we want to work with Transport’s Transforming Mbps or better, and 77% of government to collectively Cities funded Transforming premises access to ultrafast build the case for the Ringway investment will broadband capable of 100 economic and connectivity deliver important bus Mbps or better. benefits of a HS2-linked network improvements in the station for the city. city centre.

38 39 1 Our City Green and Blue Infrastructure Preston has a range of The Covid-19 crisis has had space reallocation, road The city benefits from infrastructure in an attractive strategic development sites major impacts on the use of closures and pop-up cycle excellent green infrastructure, natural setting. The Guild for residential, commercial our infrastructure. Lancashire lanes, and is providing travel in particular its award Wheel, a 21-mile walking and and education development saw a 45% decrease in plan, public information winning and historical parks cycling route, also encircles which provide a strong public transport use, with and communications to ( and Miller) which the city and provides platform for the city’s future rail and bus use in particular support this effort. Our provide high quality green residents and visitors with growth and prosperity. Major falling substantially during City Investment Plan will space at the very centre of a link from the city to the sites in North West Preston lockdown conditions. Private help ensure we build on the city and are appreciated countryside. and at Cottam Hall are part vehicle journeys also fell those changes that have by residents as strengths of of ambitious housing growth very sharply as many people positive long-term benefits the city, providing spaces for The Covid-19 crisis has plans through Preston’s switched to homeworking for sustainability and clean exercise and relaxation which further underlined the City Deal which targets and avoided unnecessary growth. are heavily used. Beyond the value of high-quality green the delivery of 17,000 new trips. The priority in recovery two central parks, Moor Park infrastructure in urban homes. In central Preston, will be to ensure that The crisis has also seen our and also provide areas. With restrictions on Preston Station Quarter and people are encouraged to digital infrastructure take on excellent green space with people travelling outside the Stoneygate masterplan start using public transport even greater importance. For sports and leisure facilities cities, access to local parks area are significant again, as well as increasing our businesses and workforce for residents and visitors. and natural green spaces by opportunities to bring new the amount of walking able to work at home, walking and cycling became Preston’s historic docks, housing and commercial and cycling for short trips. access to high speed, high an important contributor now regenerated, provide development to the core Lancashire’s Safer Travel bandwidth internet access to mental and physical a waterfront and leisure of the city, whilst UCLan’s Restart initiative, a fund to has been vital. There are health and wellbeing as resource which is also £200 million masterplan is help restart safe travel, has likely to be lasting impacts on the lockdown took hold. centrally located in the city transforming the campus and introduced temporary road the use of digital technology, Our City Investment Plan and where there is potential the area around it. and our City Investment Plan recognises the need to recognises this. for us to do much more protect and enhance these to develop the area as a vital assets. leisure destination. Avenham Park provides access to the River Ribble, although we recognise the potential to strengthen links between the city centre and the riverside as an area for recreation. The Ribble Link, funded by the Millennium Commission, provided a connection between the and the River Ribble which now offers cycling, walking

40 41 Recent Major Investments The following summarises some of the recent major investments which have already been made and we are committed to in Preston. They provide the backdrop to how the CIP will play an important role in enabling Preston to build 1on this progress over the next 15 years.

1. Preston Bus 2. Preston Markets: Station: Preston City Council invested A £25m refurbishment of £3m to revitalise the city our iconic listed Bus Station centre’s indoor and outdoor was completed in 2018. The markets. Opened in early restoration of the building 2018, the project completed included the reconfiguration a brand-new Market Hall of the bus stands, relocation built under a larger listed of the coach station, Victorian canopy, as well as a rationalisation of the retail Box Market created from up- units and the delivery of cycled shipping containers. adjacent public space. The project won the 2019 RIBA National Award.

3. Public Realm 4. Preston Rail Improvements: Station: Major public realm Investment of £1.5m to improvements have been upgrade the Station’s delivered since 2014. concourse and entrance This includes over £5m has been completed. This investment in Fishergate is ahead of significant providing greater space proposed investment to to pedestrians, reduce the redevelop the station as dominance of the car and part of HS2 and wider plans improve the attractiveness of for Station Quarter, a new the city centre. commercial led and mixed- use area of the city centre.

42 43 New Residential: 5. UCLan: 7. Increasing levels of residential The university is in the development has occurred process of delivering its or is underway in the city 110-year vision for a £200m centre. A number of notable masterplan to redevelop office and historic building its centre campus. The conversions, as well as new Engineering and Innovation apartments around Winkley Centre (EIC) opened in Square. October 2019, a state-of-the- art teaching and research facility. A major new public square and student centre will provide a new campus gateway and event space.

6. New Road 8. Winckley Square: Infrastructure: Winckley Square is a City Deal is funding the Georgian square and £200m Western Distributor gardens situated in Preston and link roads scheme. Under city centre. A £1.2m construction, it is one of refurbishment of the gardens the largest new roads in the was recently completed and North, increasing capacity the park received a Green and unlocking strategic Flag Award. housing and employment sites. It also includes link roads to North West Preston and Cottam, where significant new housing and a new TCF funded Parkway rail station will be delivered. South of Preston, the Penwortham Bypass, opened in December 2019.

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