Our fourth #InTheCity event took place on Thursday September 5, when we returned to OneCoWork on Winckley Square to discuss the topic of culture.

Preston Partnership members, strategic partners, and guests from across Preston and surrounding areas came together to get under the skin of Preston’s cultural identity, exploring how we can come together to put Preston on the cultural map.

Preston’s culture club 

Stakeholders and leaders from across Preston’s private and public sector who attended the event were joined by some of Preston’s most influential cultural leaders including Timothy Joel, head of arts and culture at Preston City Council, which recently helped attract BBC Radio 2 in The Park to Preston; Christina Cort, Founder of Chew’s Yard and cultural trailblazer across the North West; and Shawn Sharpe, Founder at Graffiti Rooms, and artist behind the well-known mural on the side of the Hogarths, located on Church Street, as well as Lynsey Thompson, Managing Director at Wash Studio and founder of The Artistry House; and Peter Alexander, Proprietor at Blitz.

Key cultural investment projects

Timothy spoke of us being on a “precipice of change”, highlighting some key development projects that are underway.

One key focal point was the redevelopments underway in Preston’s emerging Harris Quarter. This included the restoration of the Harris Museum, and the much-anticipated Animate Cinema and Leisure scheme in the area, due to open in 2025. Tim talked about the October 2024 reopening of the former Guild Hall Foyer as The Guild Lounge where it will serve as an entertainment venue. Together, the projects were praised for their role in diversifying the cultural and night-time economy in the city.

Timothy also talked about the Illuminate and Integrate scheme, which began work in August. The scheme aims to deliver improved pedestrian, cycleway, and outdoor leisure infrastructure in the area, which will enhance the accessibility and scope of the Harris Quarter as a vibrant cultural destination.

As well as redeveloping, building and updating cultural institutions and public spaces, Preston is now showcasing an increasingly busy cultural calendar, which brings the city to life for residents and draws people in from across the UK. From the much talked about BBC Radio 2 in The Park, to the upcoming Encounter Festival and Lancashire Fringe Festival, Preston is marking its place on the cultural map .

This, it was discussed, offers to have a knock-on effect, giving us the opportunity to highlight Preston’s unique cultural assets. The panel discussed the upcoming events and referenced the new Blog Preston What’s On page.

Timothy additionally touched on smaller investment projects with great impact. The recent addition of several public art installations both improves the look and feel of the city and creates focal points of interest. Specifically, he referenced the “iconic” Wallace and Gromit bench which was unveiled outside the Preston Market Hall in 2021, as well as Shawn’s ongoing series of murals across the city.

Defining Preston’s cultural identity

Our panel discussion was marked by a particular focus on defining Preston’s unique personality as a city – as Christina put it: “What is our quintessential thing?”.

Lynsey talked about how the affordability of rent in Preston has created opportunities for her in creating a creative community workspace and gallery, The Artistry House and creative film production studio, Wash Studio. Through creating her “home” in Preston, she has been able to host self-funded events that inspire people and pour her passion into projects that carve change in the city.

The panel agreed that the relative affordability for small businesses to have their own space and create their home in Preston makes it more accessible for a community of innovative people with their own clear visions, to collectively build out Preston’s unique cultural ecosystem.

Stemming off from this point, it was discussed that it’s not only our physical proximity as a small and walkable city that makes us unique, but that we are a smaller community compared to other nearby cities. This offers individuals a greater opportunity to have their voice heard and be an active member of shaping the cities’ identity during this important phase of defining our who, what and why.

Whilst we’re in this phase of change and regeneration, the panel pinpointed Friargate and the surrounding area as a representation of a key cultural shift that is underway. An example they discussed was Chew’s Yard – a food-hall, event space and wrap-around garden, founded by panellist Christina – which exists as a democratic and welcoming space created specifically for people in Preston, and now attracting visitors from across the region.

The way forward 

It was evident throughout Thursday’s event that there are lots of ambitious people with ideas in Preston, and coming together with a collective vision, we can steer and drive real momentum to define Preston’s who, what and why, and to realise our potential as a city.

Christina placed emphasis on the importance of defining and honouring Preston’s unique cultural identity as a way to create direction.

Whilst smaller spaces such as the Ferret and Blitz came up in discussions around the thriving live-music scene across the city, there was a general agreement that a larger-scale music venue could open even more opportunities when it comes to live entertainment.

Timothy added that with a new government in place there exists a renewed opportunity to influence funding priorities, and that on a local level, cultural projects have been seen taking up greater space at the forefront of strategic conversations in a way that they weren’t before.

#MyPreston 

Join us in a campaign to showcase the very best of socialising, working, and studying in Preston.

Use #MyPreston in your personal and business social media posts sharing your favourite Preston places to highlight what makes our city a vibrant and thriving community!

Dates for your diary

Our next #InTheCity event will be held on November 21 at OneCoWork and will be focussed on the topic of sustainability in Preston.

For further information on our events programme, visit www.prestonpartnership.org/news-and-events/.

Become a member

If you would like to join a community of over 175 members collaborating to help Preston realise its potential, head over to our join page and choose your membership package.

Our third #InTheCity event took place on Thursday July 25 at Preston’s impressive new co-working space, OneCoWork, located on Winckley Square.

Preston Partnership members and guests came together to discuss Preston’s strengths and opportunities as a place to relocate and work. The debate included a presentation of the Preston 35 regeneration plan, working culture and trends in the city, new offices, and the real living wage.

Preston 35 regeneration plan

Following a breakfast networking session, Adrian Phillips, board member and chief executive of Preston City Council, spoke about the formation of the Preston Regeneration Board (PRB) which, in its first year, has started to outline a blueprint for Preston’s future.

Adrian highlighted some of the key regeneration and development opportunities in Preston outlined in the newly unveiled Preston 35 regeneration plan, which sets out the draft vision and priorities for Preston and the wider city region.

Adrian outlined key focus areas which the PRB aims to deliver by 2035, including: the continued development of Stoneygate – a 25-hectare urban village area offering new city centre residential, business, education and leisure spaces; and the Harris Quarter Phase Two project, which will bring a range of cultural and leisure opportunities to Preston city centre.

He also talked about the board’s future aspirations, such as adding a third River Ribble crossing, building on the existing Preston Station Quarter plans and regenerating Preston’s Riversway.

Adrian cited Preston Partnership as a means for individuals and organisations to have a direct involvement and impact in the continued work that is going on across Preston, and building on the growth, development and success that has been forged across the city in recent years.

Working in Preston

Next, we were joined by our expert panel, who discussed what Preston can do to become a more attractive destination for businesses and employees.

Chaired by Beckie Joyce of Preston Partnership, our panel consisted of Davinia Jackson, development organiser at Citizens UK; Danny Pinkus, director at Robert Pinkus & Co; Wes Royle, business director at Hays Recruitment; Joshua Senior, CEO at Leven Branco, and Rory Southworth, investment ecosystem manager at Lancashire County Council.

The panel stated that the key areas of interest for business owners and employees, in any city, include high quality, sustainable and flexible working spaces, with a vibrant cultural offer.

They agreed that more could be done to promote the distinct points of interest that could attract employees and employers to Preston, including recent investment successes, our abundance of green spaces and parks, a growing retail and leisure scene, and a progressive stance on the real living wage.

The discussion explored the post pandemic rise of working from home trends (WFH) and the challenges and opportunities for businesses and employees alike.

It was stressed that the vast majority of employees want WFH provisions and that a more agile way of working creates opportunities for Manchester-based talent to work in Preston without the need for a five-day commute, and vice versa.

Our panel also discussed the ‘race amongst employers for good quality business spaces’, with an imbalance between the great range of entrepreneurs and SMEs, and the lack of high-quality grade A office space to facilitate various business needs.

They cited the Preston Station East development, outlined in the Preston 35 regeneration plan, as a potential solution that would create a mixed-use commercial complex near to Preston railway station, featuring grade A office space, to accommodate the needs of businesses in Preston city centre.

There was also talk around Preston’s progressive stance on the real living wage in contrast, compared to other areas in Lancashire, and the positive health outcomes that could come off the back of this.

National Cyber Force (NCF)

Introduced initially in Adrian’s talk, the topic of NCF’s 2025 relocation towards Preston, in Samlesbury, was a key talking point throughout the event.

Some of the opportunities that will come from Preston’s proximity to the NCF that were referenced throughout include the additional high-skilled jobs that will emerge and the positive impact this will have on Lancashire’s economy, as well as Preston’s opportunity to become recognised as a leading hub for cyber, digital and data innovation.

Cultural assets

Something that was agreed upon unanimously was that Preston has a unique set of green spaces in the city including the extensive Avenham and Miller Parks and Winckley Square, being points of interest that could attract people to live and work in Preston.

Additionally, referencing projects including the ongoing Harris Quarter Towns Fund investment which will facilitate the refurbishment and reopening of important cultural institutions including the Harris Museum and the creation of new areas including the Animate Cinema and Leisure centre.

Our panel identified a need for us to exploit these cultural assets and place Preston on the map, becoming recognised as an attractive destination in Lancashire.

Dates for your diary

Our next #InTheCity event will be held on September 5 at OneCoWork and will be focussed on the topic of culture in Preston.

For further information on our events programme, visit www.prestonpartnership.org/news-and-events/.

Become a member

If you would like to join a community of over 175 members collaborating to help Preston realise its potential, head over to our join page and choose your membership package.

A series of in-person events, aimed at cultivating a vibrant and innovative local ecosystem are taking place in Preston.

The events mark the beginning of an exciting new calendar of Preston innovation and investment events focused on the themes of tech, digital, cyber, disruptive processes, advanced manufacturing, nuclear and bio/green tech.

Within the umbrella series, is the ‘fhunded Preston Season’, the inaugural series from Lancashire County Council initiative, fhunded.

Fhunded is designed to connect tech founders with venture capital funding bodies, fostering collaboration and driving investment in Lancashire’s tech and digital sectors.

Rory Southworth, Investment Ecosystem Manager at fhunded, said: “fhunded coming to Preston is bringing many Northern focused Investors into the city, with their eyes of Preston businesses.”

Rob Binns, CEO of Cotton Court and Preston Partnership board member, added: “It is encouraging to see opportunities to develop in and for Preston. With the National Cyber Force opening its HQ on our doorstep within the next year, it is the perfect time to host these conversations and events and push this agenda forward.”

Dates for your diary

Aug 27: Fireside chat with Seneca Partners (fhunded Preston Season event) 

For founders seeking early-stage investment, don’t miss this fireside chat with Matt Currie from Seneca Partners. This session will provide valuable tips on how to successfully pitch to investors, what to look out for in the process, and informal networking with other local founders.

Get your ticket here.

Sept 9: What is equity investment? (fhunded Preston Season event)

Attend this short, lunch time talk, hosted by Society 1, for explainers on what exactly Equity Investment is, the processes for gaining investment and jargon busting.

Get your ticket here.

Sept 11: Artificial Inspiration: AI and the Creative Process 

Part of Society1’s ‘Live Work Create’ series, this panel discussion will explore how creatives can strike the optimal balance between human creativity and AI-generated content.

Moderated by Mich Bondesio and featuring Mark Dunbavan, Matty Hall and Christina Davies, the discussion will look at ideas for how creatives can use AI to enhance and elevate their own creative abilities and outputs.

Get your ticket here.

Sept 11: Lancashire Women in Digital (LWID) 

Join this evening event at Chorley Studios, featuring a mix of networking, engaging talks, micro-training sessions, and group activities—including goal setting for the remainder of 2024.

Their buddy system is perfect for newcomers, offering the chance to connect with a fellow attendee.

Get your ticket here.

Sept 17: Founder X Funder (fhunded Preston Season event) 

Hosted at Preston’s new OneCoWork, this event features Kiran Mehta from Mercia Ventures, who will share key insights on raising investment. Following the session, there will be an informal networking opportunity to connect Lancashire founders and funders.

Get your ticket here.

Sept 25: Lancashire Cyber Good Practice Network (GPN)

Organised in collaboration with UCLan and Your Affordable Board (YAB), join cybersecurity professionals, researchers, and organisations from across the county to share knowledge and ideas at the Cyber GPN meet up morning.

A breakfast networking session will be followed by a dynamic morning of intros, collaborative mastermind sessions and discussion around specific challenges.

Get your ticket here.

Sept 27: Preston Innovates drop-in sessions

Book a one-on-one, 30-minute slot with Shirah Bamber of Preston Innovates, to discuss anything tech, digital or cyber related. Sessions will be held at Cotton Court Business Centre.

Book your slot here.

Become a member of Preston Partnership

If you would like to join a community of over 200 members collaborating to help Preston realise its potential, head over to our join page and choose your membership package.

On September 5, Preston Partnership will host its fourth #InTheCity event of 2024, open to our members and guests from the private and public sector passionate to discuss and shape the future of Preston.

One of our core strategic aims is to bring together an ambitious community of people determined to help Preston realise its potential.

Our #InTheCity event series allows our members and guests to come together to learn about upcoming projects, have their say on big Preston issues, and build relationships over coffee and a croissant.

The theme for our September event is #CultureInTheCity and coincides with BBC’s Radio 2 in the Park annual live music event, which takes place in Preston on September 7 and 8.

Our event will once again take place at OneCoWork, the impressive new coworking and office space located on Preston’s stunning Winckley Square.

We will be bringing together a specialist panel from Preston’s culture community to discuss the city’s cultural strengths and opportunities.

Full details of our guest speakers will be revealed on social media leading up to the event.

OneCoWork are also kindly offering complimentary day passes to all attendees, allowing you to use its facilities and coworking spaces for the remainder of the day following the event.

Details on booking complementary day pass in confirmation email.

Registration 

This is a free event with 100 spaces available, so book your space soon to avoid disappointment.

Please note, there is a maximum of two spaces per company.

(Photographed above, left to right: Preston Partnership chair, John Chesworth; cabinet member for community wealth building at Preston City Council, Valerie Wise; and chief executive of Preston City Council, Adrian Phillips)

The newly formed Preston Regeneration Board (PRB) has unveiled Preston 35, a new regeneration plan for Preston, projected to secure significant further investment across the city by 2035.

Preston 35 was revealed to the Preston Partnership community at our #InTheCity event last Thursday, in an introduction by Adrian Phillips, chief executive at Preston City Council.

This follows in the wake of a successful launch to industry peers at the UK REiiF conference held in Leeds, in May, the UK’s largest real estate, investment and infrastructure forum with a delegation of over 13,000 eager to find the next UK hotspot for unlocking investment, regeneration and development.

The PRB includes senior representatives from Preston City Council, Lancashire County Council, University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and Preston Partnership.

As the third biggest city in the North West, over £1bn of investment has already been delivered or committed in the city, ranking ‘The Best City for Quality of Life’¹ and the ‘Top UK City 2023 to Raise a Family.’²

Preston 35 is championing the city as an attractive place to do business and highlights six strategic, priority regeneration prospects that the city is driving forward over the next 11 years.

Adrian Phillips, Chief Executive of Preston City Council, outlined the PRB’s vision, priorities and objectives at the Preston Partnership event on July 25, hosted at the recently opened OneCoWork offices on Winckley Square, Preston.

Adrian said: “2035 provides us with a natural and realistic focus, that takes in the next Guild celebrations in 2032, to make some significant progress, take stock of how far we have come, and evaluate what still needs to be done.

“The city’s investment plan is always evolving and this new reiteration – Preston 35 – defines what we have already collectively achieved over the past decade, but more importantly, it focuses on what’s next and how much more we can achieve by working together.

“The key to successful place making and attracting significant inward investment for the city, that’s both meaningful and provides a lasting legacy for the people of Preston, is collaboration across public and private sectors, pooling our resources and working together with shared goals and objectives.”

John Chesworth, chair of Preston Partnership, said: “This exciting plan is partnership in action. The key Preston regeneration stakeholders leading the regeneration of Preston over the next decade have agreed key priorities and identified those projects which will contribute to their delivery.

“Prestonians want to see ambition for our city, and Preston 35 sets out a positive direction of travel. These projects will bring jobs, visitors and residents back into the city, and be a catalyst for further investment. I see this as a foundation from which we can kick on to bigger and better things.”

Some of the key regeneration propositions include:

• Preston Station East Phase 1 – a priority of the Station Quarter Masterplan to provide Grade A office space and deliver a landmark commercial-led, mixed-use development scheme.
• Harris Quarter Phase 2 – An opportunity to develop a thriving cultural, leisure and conference quarter, anchored by the redevelopment of the Guild Hall.
• Stoneygate Phase 2 – A focus on sites that can deliver new city centre residential, business and educational uses. An Urban Village Regeneration Area of 25 hectares.
• Innovate Preston – Positioning Preston at the heart of an innovation eco-system and a natural location for the National Cyber Facility supply chain.
• Preston Community Health Hub – An integrated ‘one-stop-shop’ of customer-facing health and wellbeing services as part of a wider drive to move services and interventions closer to the community.
• Access Preston – Cottam Parkway, a £35m new railway station on the Blackpool to Preston line, providing sustainable transport options to almost 10,000 new homes.

Wider projects in the pipeline include Preston Station Quarter future phases which include a masterplan for County Hill and University Walk, future phases on Stoneygate, Preston Riversway Docklands regeneration and a third River Ribble crossing.

To read the prospectus in full or to download a copy visit https://www.investprestoncity.com/

On July 25, Preston Partnership will host its third #InTheCity event of 2024, open to our members and guests from the private and public sector, passionate about discussing and shaping the future of Preston.

One of our strategic aims is to bring together an ambitious community of people determined to help Preston realise its potential.

Our #InTheCity event series allows our members to learn about upcoming projects, have their say on big Preston issues, and build relationships over coffee and a croissant.

Our July #WorkingInTheCity event will take place at OneCoWork, the stunning new coworking offices located on Winckley Square.

We will be bringing together a specialist panel to discuss what can make cities stand out as locations of choice for employers and their workforce.

We will also be joined by the new Preston Regeneration Board and hear more details of Preston’s new regeneration plan.

Full details of our guest speakers will be revealed on social media leading up to the event, make sure you’re following us to keep up to date.

Registration

This is a free event, but there are only 100 spaces available. Book your space now to avoid disappointment.

Our second #InTheCity event was held on Thursday April 24, 2024 at Cotton Court Business Centre, where a busy room made up of our members and guests gathered to learn more about the future of innovation in Preston and the opportunities that projects like the National Cyber Force (NCF) will create.

Positive Preston

The morning began with an update from Preston Partnership board member, Ginette Unsworth, who spoke about her upbringing in Preston and how, after living away from the city, she returned because of the ‘sense of community’ and the exciting opportunities in the city.

Ginette told how the partnership recently helped form a new Preston Regeneration Board (PRB), consisting of senior leaders from UCLan, Lancashire County Council, Preston City Council and the partnership.

The PRB is still in its infancy and would not act as a decision-making board but would focus on creating a single unified voice for future regeneration projects that can feed directly into the Partnership.

Ginette said: “We want to represent your views on this board, feeding up through the partnership and getting the collective view of Preston and what the community want to see.”

There was also an update on membership uptake following the relaunch of the partnership, which has seen 165 new members join since October 2023, as well as nine strategic partners who will form part of a new strategic advisory panel, advising on future policy.

Available opportunities

We were then joined by Holly Smith, innovation consultant at Plexal, who updated us on the work she has been commissioned to complete by the partnership that will help us better understand what innovation is currently happening in Preston and what resources need to be available.

Focussing on three key areas – identifying SMEs, recommending growth areas and identifying innovation space demand – the aim of Holly’s research is to ‘unlock technological progress and cause economic growth’ in our city, allowing our ecosystem to grow and capitalise on the innovation investment in our region.

She identified 162 SMEs currently operating in Preston, 18 of which were tech focussed, and revealed that Preston has received 0.4% of project funds awarded to Lancashire by Innovate UK (roughly £7.2million).

Holly gathered feedback from our members on the current innovation support in Preston. The results showed that there are a number of facilities (Shout Connect, Society1) and programmes (Boost, Edge Hill) in place, but that uptake was relatively low, and that the majority felt that access to innovation funding or grants could be improved.

Her work is ongoing, but she provided some early recommendations which included using groups like Preston Partnership to help deliver the city’s innovation story, creating a home for innovation in the city that includes Grade A office space, and forming innovation clusters made up of likeminded businesses that can be used to attract and retain talent.

She also mentioned further opportunities to increase support for innovation led SMEs by identifying an ecosystem leader who can join up the available support avenues and create connections within the industry.

The future of innovation in Preston

Next up was our innovation panel, which included Dave Carter, honorary knowledge exchange fellow at the University of Manchester; Maya Ellis, innovation lead at Lancashire County Council; and Victoria Millsop, business development manager of cyber solutions at UCLan.

The main topic of discussion was the arrival of the National Cyber Force in early 2025, and the wave of specialist talent that will provide positive social, cultural and educational benefits to the region.

Established in 2020, the NCF is a partnership between defence and intelligence comprising GCHQ, the Ministry of Defence, MI6, and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).

Victoria detailed the university’s involvement in securing the NCF which was put forward at a Lancashire Cyber Partnership Event last November.

This was followed by another event where the NCF spoke openly about their plans in the region and met with members of the public to get a sense of what Lancashire needs – the response was positive, with plans to do another in the near future.

Maya was asked about the upcoming devolution deal and what the council are doing to progress innovation in the region.

She said: “The council has invested “£6million to create a physical space that will enhance what the NCF are doing and attract and retain world class talent.”

She also stated that the bigger role the council plays is by facilitating organisations like the Preston Partnership to ensure everyone’s voice is heard when making decisions about the future of innovation in the city.

Dave then spoke on the arrival of the Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ) in Manchester and how his city handled a similar situation that Preston is in right now.

He said: “The focus needed to be on facilitating GCHQ’s plans to attract local talent from business clusters and graduate schemes in order to best nurture the local economy. This can be done by forging strong relationships with universities and SMEs in the region.”

He advised that Preston should do the same by following the recommendations outlined by Holly, highlighting that a strong relationship with UCLan and local innovation centres is critical, as well a strong arts and culture scene and nighttime economy that employees and visitors can enjoy outside of working hours.

Maya moved on to discuss the connectivity between Preston and Salmesbury, and while there are no plans currently to connect the two by rail or tram network, Lancashire County Council are pushing for a membership-based hub near the train station that would provide its employees and visitors with an alternative and more accessible place to visit, work and hold meetings.

Dates for your diary

Ginette closed off the event by reminding our guests about the benefits of joining the partnership, encouraging them to become part of a growing movement to drive Preston forward.

She also shared details of the next #InTheCity event, which will focus on working in Preston, taking place on Thursday July 11 at OneCoWork, in Winckley Square, Preston.

Ginette reminded guests that members of the Preston Partnership board will be attending the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF), from 21 to 23 May in Leeds.

As well as having a stand, our chair John Chesworth be taking part in the ‘Fuelling Lancashire’s Future’ panel debate, which promises insights into the collaborative potential among the private sector, public sector, and universities in Lancashire to foster more opportunities and drive sustainable growth.

The debate will take place at The Cinema Stage Royal Armouries on Wednesday 22 May at 2:15pm.

For further information on our events programme, visit www.prestonpartnership.org/news-and-events/.

Fancy becoming a member?

If you would like to join a community of over 175 members that is helping Preston realise its potential, head over to our join page and choose your membership package.

On April 18, Preston Partnership will host its second #InTheCity event of 2024, open to our members and guests from the private and public sector passionate to discuss and shape the future of Preston.

One of our strategic aims is to bring together an ambitious community of people determined to help Preston realise its potential. Our #InTheCity event series allows our members to learn about upcoming projects, have their say on big Preston issues, and build relationships over coffee and a croissant.

Our April Innovation In the City event shine the spotlight on innovation and how Preston can step up to take advantage of transformational projects like National Cyber Force located at Samlesbury.

Preston Partnership is working with Plexal to understand how the Preston’s innovation community can be nurtured and grown. The event will feature an introduction and update from the Preston Partnership board, followed by a presentation by Plexal, an expert panel discussion and audience Q&A.

Registration

Tickets go on sale on March 18 and Preston Partnership members have priority access until March 25, after which tickets will go on general sale. This is a free event with 100 spaces available, so book your space soon to avoid disappointment.

A topping out ceremony has been held to mark the highest point of the build at Preston’s Animate leisure complex, the latest milestone in the £45 million+ scheme, one of six major projects planned under Preston’s Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme.

Preston was awarded £20.9m from the Government’s national Towns Fund initiative in March 2021, and the Harris Quarter is a unique part of the city centre undergoing a £200m investment programme to transform its historic buildings, sites and public realm into a diverse culture, leisure and employment offering.

Animate is being brought forward by Maple Grove Developments, part of Preston-based contractor Eric Wright Group, in partnership with Preston City Council.

The leisure complex is being built on the site of the former indoor market and car park and due to open to the public in early 2025.

Almost fully pre-let, Animate will feature an eight-screen cinema, 16-lane bowling alley with gaming zone, five family restaurant units, a food hall, public realm, a competitive socialising unit and 164-space basement car park, with national leisure brands including

Hollywood Bowl, ARC Cinemas, Zizzi, Cosmo, Las Iguanas and Loungers already signed up as tenants.

Those attending the topping out included Cllr Yakub Patel, mayor of Preston City Council, Adrian Phillips, chief executive of the city council and Karen Hirst, managing director of Maple Grove Developments.

Councillor Matthew Brown, leader of Preston City Council, added: “Animate is the flagship project of the Harris Quarter regeneration programme, heralding a new era for Preston and its residents. Owned by the city council to benefit local people, the construction of Animate has involved local contractors and enhanced the skills and learning of young people with essential on-the-job experience.

“Crucially, such development and regeneration forms a key part of the council’s commitment to Community Wealth Building, designed to create a resilient and inclusive economy to benefit the whole area by offering an opportunity for local people to take back control while working with local institutions.”

John Chesworth, Chair of Preston Towns Fund Strategic Board and Preston Partnership, said: “The topping out represents another key moment in the delivery of Animate and in the ongoing renaissance of Preston as we progress our wider plans to create places for people.

“Having secured high-profile and established national leisure brands, Animate will provide an unrivalled offering of activities to drive footfall and wider economic benefits for Preston and surrounding areas.”

Karen Hirst, managing director of Maple Grove Developments, development partner of Preston City Council, concluded: “This milestone in the delivery of Animate marks the highest point of the build and the successful culmination of the collaborative efforts of the client, design, and construction teams.

“Animate is an exemplar of what can be achieved when the public and private sectors work together in partnership to great effect for the wider community and economy of Preston.”

Development updates, devolution and our branded badges were the hot topics covered at Preston Partnership’s first #InTheCity event of 2024.

The much-anticipated event was held on Thursday February 22, 2024, where over 80 members from the private and public sector gathered at Cotton Court Business Centre to hear about Preston Partnership and Preston’s role in Lancashire’s new devolution deal.

Positive Preston

Kicking proceedings off, our chair John Chesworth talked about the journey of the partnership and welcomed our new board members.

He said: “The partnership’s aim is to build closer ties between the public and private sector and to work with local authorities and partners to shape ideas and support investment opportunities.”

John highlighted Preston Partnership’s role in the creation of the Towns Fund board which secured £20.9m to kickstart the £200m Harris Quarter Investment Programme, and the partnership’s work in securing £80,000 through the UK’s Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to help relaunch Preston Partnership.

He also provided development updates on a number of key Preston projects such as Animate, Amounderness House, Preston Youth Zone and the Harris Your Place Project.

Speaking on the future, John said: “We want to build an ambitious community, one that will get Preston to where it should be; a city that is world renowned for its industry, a trailblazer in many ways, that can stand on its own nationally and internationally.”

He added: “While ambition is a good start, there is still plenty of work to be done. We’re looking to reengage with our members to help tell Preston’s story and build a relentlessly positive profile for our city.”

Preston Partnership has a role to play in devolution

Next up, Andy Walker, head of business growth and innovation, and Pete Thomas, program manager at Lancashire County Council, provided an update on Lancashire’s devolution deal and how Preston can play a key role in the wider plans.

The proposal focuses on an improved adult education budget, having a strategic role in delivering services, supporting local businesses, control of sustainable transport and investment spending, all of which would drive regeneration and provide a boost to businesses and people across the region.

Describing the plans as a ‘collective opportunity’, Pete said: “Following approval, a new Combined County Authority (CCA) would be established that would create a new, democratically led body to speak for Lancashire, that has a focussed set of priorities.”

He reiterated the importance of local organisations like Preston Partnership and how it can feed into the CCA with input from its members and local authorities, stating that the voice of the business community needs to be heard, not just the politicians.

Andy revealed the timeline for a new Lancashire Economic Strategy, which would be created in the new six months. The strategy would need to be endorsed by a new Combined Authority Business Board, made up of 15 representatives from private, public and third sector organisations, as well as the sub-groups that sit underneath, which would include over 200 companies.

Andy added: “Once completed, our new economic strategy could lead to Lancashire having one of the most successful economies in the North of England. We want to shift the competing mindset in Lancashire. Competition should be with other UK regions, not the towns and cities within Lancashire.”

The session ended with a Q&A with the speakers, covering topics such as improvements to local transport, how our most vulnerable residents will be represented in the future and how the community play a part in Preston’s journey.

Preston dates for your diary

Our business development manager, Beckie Joyce, closed the event by discussing the benefits of joining the partnership, encouraging guests to become part of a growing movement to drive Preston forward.

She said that in order to have a meaningful impact and influence on future policies, the partnership needs to be made up of members from all corners of Preston’s business community.

Beckie explained that the partnership is still very much in its infant stage, essentially acting as a start-up. Beckie said: “We want to retain our own independence, while working closely with the City’s anchor institutions to help shape future development.”

She also shared details of the next Preston Quarter Club event, which Preston Partnership is sponsoring alongside BEK Geo-Environmental Consultants on Thursday 7 March, 2024 at Bar Pintxos, and the date for next event #InnovationInTheCity, taking place on Thursday 18 April, 2024 at Cotton Court Business Centre.

For further information on our events programme, visit our events page.

Fancy becoming a member?

If you would like to join a community of over 100 members that is helping Preston realise its potential, head over to our join page and choose your membership package.