BlogPreston

Town or city? Business leaders to debate how Preston can move on from Tithebarn

A lobby group representing Preston and Lancashire’s businesses is organising an event asking whether Preston is a town or a city. Preston received its status in 2002 but the Downtown Lancashire in Business group want to question if the city has made the most of it. The Big Conversation event will take place on Tuesday 21st September from 2pm at Preston North End and include [...]

Signature milestone reached for Save Preston Bus Station epetition as deadline nears

A petition demanding a city-wide referendum on the future of Preston Bus Station closes tomorrow. The epetition has attracted nearly 1,500 signatures as campaigners attempt to stop the demolition of one of Preston’s iconic landmarks. John Wilson, who tweets as @SaveBusStation, tabled the petition in November. It has now passed the 1,350 signatures it needs to ensure councillors have to debate the issue at a [...]

Businesses consider post-Tithebarn city development, discuss how to fix “deserted” city centre

Preston’s business leaders last night discussed options and potential development plans for restructuring the city after the collapse of the Tithebarn project. As part of a week of listening to the public and local businesses alike, the Your City, Your Say event held at the Holiday Inn gave businesses a chance to speak to council leader Peter Rankin and chief executive Lorraine Norris. In a [...]

Preston Council prepares for a week of listening after Tithebarn collapse

Council chiefs are preparing a New Year’s resolution of their own in 2012 – to listen to the views of residents. Admitting the failures of the Tithebarn project, Preston City Council will take to the streets for a week from January 9th 2012 to consult with Prestonians about the future of the city. A series of public roadshows will take place in the Bus Station, [...]

Think tank raises concerns over lack of Preston city centre business growth

Preston has been labelled as the key city for driving economic growth in Lancashire, according to a report by a think tank for urban economies. The Centre for Cities research today called on the city council, county council and the new Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to do more to ensure Preston retained its growing private sector. The report, Strength from Within: Supporting economic growth [...]

Online petition calls for referendum on future of Preston Bus Station

Campaigners fighting to save Preston’s Bus Station have launched an epetition on the council website calling for a referendum to decide the building’s future. The petition, put forward by John Wilson who tweets as @SaveBusStation, was initially rejected by the chief executive of Preston council but has since been reworded and approved. The wording on the petition states: We the undersigned petition the council to [...]

John Lewis pull out of Preston as Tithebarn is ‘not financially viable’

Preston’s proposed £700m city centre redevelopment has been confirmed as not going ahead in its current form, say council bosses. John Lewis’s decision not to come to Preston City Centre has meant that plans for the multi-million pound development have been scrapped, with no new bus station planned due to the current economic climate. This comes after a huge public enquiry in 2010 which granted [...]

Traders get opportunity to ask council key questions

Preston North End’s Deepdale Stadium saw a coming together of more than 100 traders, to fire questions at some of the main players at Preston City Council. The event, organised by the Chamber of Commerce, saw Preston Council Leader Ken Hudson, chief executive Lorraine Norris, deputy leader Eric Fazackerley and finance director Bernard Hayes asked questions by business traders from across Preston. Hot topics included [...]

Guest post: Save our club. Jalgos forever.

In 1963 the Lancashire Evening Post ran a story about a colour bar operating in Preston. An organized pub crawl organized by the Commonwealth Association discovered two bars in the town were openly running a colour bar; those pubs were the Old Britannia and the Old Black Bull situated in and around Friargate. The Old Britannia went as far as having a sign saying ‘No [...]

West Indian club Jalgos under threat from Tithebarn

The campaign to save Preston’s principal West Indian social club is in full swing  following the approval of Tithebarn plans. Preston City Council’s £700m plan for Tithebarn has caused problems for Jalgos, which will be forced to relocate to make way for space for buses to reverse into. The Jalgos Sports and Social club was formed almost 50 years ago and a campaign is ongoing [...]

Preston Bus Station: picture special

With the Tithebarn regeneration project looking likely to go ahead, Preston’s historic Bus Station could soon be a thing of the past. There have been mixed views, and many debates about whether the building should remain; whether it is a work of art, or an eyesore. Jonathan Kenyon, who studies at Preston College focussed an entire project on the building, and produced some beautiful results.

Tithebarn development: set to go ahead?

After years of speculation and planning, the £700m Tithebarn development finally appears to have been given the green light. Or that’s at least what the BBC’s sources are claiming. Arif Ansari, BBC North West political editor, updated his blog at 5 o’clock yesterday afternoon informing readers: “I understand that the hugely controversial Tithebarn shopping development in Preston will get the go-ahead from ministers. “The formal [...]

Tithebarn decision not expected until early 2011

A decision on Preston’s £700 million Tithebarn development will not be made until March 2011 at the earliest, according to councillors at the most recent Central Area Forum.

Onlooking residents were told that the inquiry, which is costing the council nearly £1 million, will end in June and will be referred to ministers in September later this year.