A new study has been commissioned by the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) which would put forward plans for Preston railway station to be modernised before the arrival of HS2. The proposal was approved last week by the Transport for Lancashire committee, which would help turn the station into a high quality transport hub.

The transport committee believes the improvements would ‘serve people and businesses better’ as increased passenger numbers visit the station. Various new employment and commercial developments are planned for Central Lancashire which would potentially create 20,000 private sector jobs and deliver 17,000 new homes – and therefore the need for improved infrastructure is high.

We’ll be back in Lancashire for the Preston Development Plans Conference at the early part of 2018 – so keep an eye out for our event which is likely to delve into the topic further.

The current train station ‘lacks presence’ due to a lack of investment over the last few decades according to the committee. It means before HS2 arrives big projects need to be carried out to the track layout, platform lengths, access between trains and platforms, and general facilities, retail, vehicular circulation, parking and more are all in need of a refresh. And they also said that the modernisation would tackle increasing maintenance costs of structures at the station – including over bridges, platforms and subways.

HS2 has been described as a ‘tremendous opportunity’ for Preston, Lancashire and the North West – and with businesses and tourism set to grow through improved connectivity it’s likely that the report will have a lot of interest. Productivity gains from the high speed project could help provide an extra £600m for the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership region, and 3,000 additional jobs in Preston and South Ribble. Preston itself could see 75,000 new visitors a year, adding £3.3m to the city’s economy annually.

Councillor Peter Rankin, Leader of Preston Council, said: ”HS2 is a tremendous opportunity not only for Preston but for Lancashire and the wider region too. It’s already a strategic transport hub but HS2 takes it to the next level.”

It’ll also increase incentives to invest in Preston for offices, employment and residential, whilst also helping to keep skilled workers in the region from the University of Preston, with the improved travel times making it more likely they can commute to enterprise zones and others cities if needed from the city.

 

David Higgins, HS2 chairman, said: “Two years ago, local leaders asked me to make sure that HS2 was fully integrated into the existing transport and local economies. It’s an aspiration we’ve sought to realise, but even I underestimated how far that principle would take us. Much of the early focus on HS2 has been on journey times to London. However, as the Changing Britain: HS2 taking root report and Preston’s work proves, it is the inter-regional benefits and early planning from Councils and Local Authorities to harness these which will transform areas such as Preston in the longer term.”

Keep an eye out for our events in the region here.