Preston's £700m Tithebarn Project has been delayed once again after both Blackpool council and Blackburn with Darwen council objected to the development, claiming it would take trade from their own high streets.
In addition to this, the global economic downturn has left one of the key developers, Lend Lease, short of cash, leaving some local business heads wondering whether the regeneration project will go ahead at all.
However, Preston and Lancashire need the Tithebarn Project to go ahead to compete with the successful developments in other North West cities such as Liverpool and Manchester.
Since gaining city status in 2002, Preston has seen little development in the city centre, where as Manchester has witnessed huge regeneration since the mid 1990s and Liverpool in the last two years in its successful bid to become the European Capital of Culture.
It was revealed last week that employment in Preston had not suffered, despite the national decrease, but the city has seen a rise in temporary jobs available for labourers, joiners and plumbers.
With Preston being fantastically located fairly centrally in Lancashire and having good transport links, the Tithebarn Project would be a great chance for Lancashire to step into the 21st Century.
The University of Central Lancashire has over 32,000 students, boosting Preston's local economy throughout the year, and the development of a modern shopping centre and improved public transport would help attract future students to the city.
This is a golden opportunity for Lancashire's main city to develop and put itself on the map. If the plan falls through, I can't help thinking Preston could be another Lancashire location left behind by its glitzy North West rivals.
Sources:
LEP:
http://www.lep.co.uk/businessnews/Tithebarn-plan-faces-further-delay.4586779.jp
http://www.lep.co.uk/businessnews/Preston-employment-market-not-hit.4602601.jp
UCLan Website
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2 comments:
Funny that. Blackpool complains it will rob their trade. What has Blackpool to offer other than tourist shops really? Its main attractions are the beach, promenade and tower.
Surely they realise that if Preston completed the Tithebarn project it would likely bring more people in to Lancashire, to visit the shopping centre but also then visit Blackpool.
However Liam, Blackpool's regeneration means that they should be able to more than compete with Preston.
A brand new shopping centre which opened last month, £500m being pumped into the Storm City project, £285m into the Civic Quarter, and many more millions towards the ReBlackpool scheme in order for the college to achieve university status and for the town itself to achieve city status in the next 15 years.
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