Our fifth and final #InTheCity event of 2024 took place on Thursday November 21, when we once again took to OneCoWork on Winckley Square, this time to talk about all things sustainability.
It was another great turnout as Preston Partnership members, strategic partners and guests from across the region came together to discuss the vital topic of sustainability in all of its forms – social, financial and environmental.
Sustainable regeneration projects
Chris Blackburn, head of city centre regeneration at Preston City Council opened the topic talks with an overview of the multitude of active travel and sustainable projects that are currently being implemented across Preston.
Just one example that Chris talked about was the tree-lined Fishergate Central Gateway Project, which saw Fishergate and selected main approaches to the city centre transformed into a ‘shared space’ that made the area more attractive to all users.
Chris shared further insight on some upcoming projects including:
- The Illuminate and Integrate project, promoting pedestrian and cycle movement in the currently traffic-dominated route in the Harris Quarter. Ongoing works are due to complete in summer 2025.
- The Old Tram Bridge restoration, creating pedestrianised access between South Ribble and the city centre, due to complete in early 2026.
- The North-South cycle link, which will connect Friargate with the Harris Quarter. Plans, which were brought forward, have been undergoing public consultation which will inform next steps.
Following Chris’ introduction, he joined the panel, which was chaired by Preston Partnership board member and director at Cassidy and Ashton, Alban Cassidy.
Joining them on the panel: Deborah Smith, director at Smith and Love Planning Consultants; Stephen Sykes, director of sustainability at East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce; Dan Hyde, co-host of the Zero Ambitions podcast; James Traynor, director of ECD Architects; and Gemma Cornwall, director at Viridium.
The small city effect
It wasn’t the first time that our status as a small city has been highlighted during the #InTheCity event series, as a distinctive strength. Our size enables daily necessities including work, shopping, education, healthcare and leisure within a short distance and space of time.
This perspective was first highlighted by Dan. He referred to The Preston Model and its pivotal role in building economic sustainability in the city, whereby we can embrace a greater sense of interconnectedness and resilience in a way that larger cities might struggle to replicate.
Dan added that our smaller footprint gives individuals more scope to make a difference, and to take on a “do it ourselves” mindset, highlighting the power behind community-driven efforts to drive meaningful and positive change.
Stephen added that it is cities, such as Preston, that harness the ability to create and demonstrate progress towards greater sustainability, and in-turn, influence government decision making.
James, who moved to Preston after growing up in Manchester and living in London, reiterated the point, adding that Preston is further advantaged when it comes to sustainability by its strong “green lungs” when referring to Avenham Park and Winckley Square.
The discussion honed in on the importance of independent businesses embracing ESG policies, which, beyond being a ‘tick-box exercise’, can be embraced as a means to set measurable targets and do things differently to drive impact on a local scale.
Retrofitting and the possibilities of passive house design
A key point of discussion was around the largely untapped potential of existing buildings throughout the city.
James, who is a certified passive house designer, cited the possibilities provided by passive house design when developing new buildings in Preston. Passive house design focuses on optimising insulation, airtightness, ventilation and solar gains to minimise energy usage, and can be applied across residential, commercial and institutional buildings. James emphasized the long-term return on investment that this offers for businesses, creating two-fold economic and environmental benefits.
Gemma highlighted Preston’s wealth of disused buildings, and the potential for their sustainable renovation over constructing new ones. Pointing at a boarded-up structure visible from the window, she underscored the city’s untapped opportunities for eco-friendly redevelopment.
Dan expanded on this idea, suggesting the potential to develop dynamic, multi-use spaces that cater to a diverse range of businesses, fostering collaboration and versatility under one roof.
The four-day work week
Deborah steered the discussion toward the social sustainability of Preston’s working patterns. She noted that on a broader national scale, we are ‘in hot water’ when it comes to our work-life balance, arguing that Preston has an opportunity to break away from national trends and chart a new path forward.
Drawing from her own experience at Smith and Love, Deborah shared her success with implementing a four-day work week, where staff work fewer hours without a reduction in pay. On this, she reported a noticeable increase in focus, energy and productivity among her staff, supporting this as a route towards improved social impacts.
Delving into some of the key advantages, she cited increased time for exercise and spending time with family, which were suggested as healthy adjustments that have a knock-on effect in creating a healthier, happier workforce and improving local public health outcomes.
The need for education
The wide range of approaches towards sustainability discussed in such a short space of time revealed that the term itself is complex. This prompted a broader discussion, extending into the audience, about how we define “sustainability” and whether the term alone holds any real value without further context.
In response to an audience member’s question, “How do we educate on sustainability?” suggestions emerged on how to give the term clearer meaning. These included emphasising decisive action and prioritising measurable, tangible impacts, and steering away from sustainability as a tick-box exercise for ESG policies or a marketing buzzword.
Dates for your diary
Our 2025 #InTheCity event schedule will be revealed in January.
For further information on our events programme, visit www.prestonpartnership.org/news-and-events/ and follow us on LinkedIn.
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