Preston is really starting to see the impact of the £434 million city deal that has seen the city transformed to create more jobs, retain more people in the city and generate a booming economy for the north west 3rd city. After liverpool and manchester, preston is know as the 3rd biggest city in the north west. The new investment of £434 million will expand transport infrastructure in preston and the south ribble at an unprecedented rate, driving the creation of some 20,000 news jobs and generating the development of more than 17,000 new homes over the next ten years.
Even now everywhere you look there are new housing developers building homes and with the new broughton bypass that has finally got underway after so many years on the bench it easy to see why preston is now booming. there are housing developments on durton lane, hoyles lane, eastway, lightfoot lane, broughton, bartle lane and so on and so forth. There is a reason why there is millions being invested into this great city and thats because people know that its a great place to work and live.
Even in the city centre there are now plans for winckley square to be transformed into city living as a manchester based developer ladson group has pit plans in to develop high end city apartments for the city’s workers. They have a real passion to create a city where people want to work and live right in the heart of the city. Millions have been spent on renovating winckley square and the famous avenham park as well as the great guild wheel.
The new outdoor market in preston is also currently underway where it is to be transformed from an outdoor market into a new modern indoor market where it will be housed within wall to wall glass ceilings given an outdoor feel to a new high tec indoor market. The market is set to open by the end of this year which the contract having been given to local builders conlon who say the market will be fully transformed once complete. But a lot of work has been done to keep the existing roof works to remain the heritage look it so truly deserves. The new market will house 70% food coming from usual fresh produce, fish, butchers etc but also looking to get more continental food stalls aswell mirroring a real city feel.
Then next to this the old post office has recently been bought by signature living based in liverpool who have plans to make it into a boutique hotel with 66 rooms and a roof terrace, also a bar and restaurant on the ground floor and also a spa and a wedding reception conference room. Once the indoor market has been closed muse developments have had plans passed to make the indoor market into a multi media cinema with 6 restaurants on the ground floor. Then there is the guild hall which has been bought by business man simon rigby who has also done great things bringing new venues and bars and restaurants to the place.
With all this happening in preston its easy to see why the city deal and everything else going on in preston has the place in a real buzz. We have not even mentioned all whats happening at uclan and the new buildings going up there yet but thats for another post here at letpads