Preston's Tithebarn plans
1.1 I am Stephen H Weaver BA (Hons), Dip Ed, Dip URP. I have been Chief Executive of Blackpool Council (an upper tier unitary authority) since April 2002. Previously to that I worked for Blackburn with Darwen Council for 28 years and prior to that for Lancashire County Council.
1.2 In my 36 years working for Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool I have been involved in place shaping and regeneration working as a Town Planner, Director of Policy and Communities and Deputy Chief Executive of Blackburn City Challenge and bring that background and knowledge to inform my evidence.
2.1 In summary my evidence focuses on the negative Impact Tithebarn will have on Blackpool while producing minimal net benefit to Lancashire and the North West. Making it much harder to deal with both the high level of need and opportunity presented in Blackpool.
2.2 This negative impact is not just limited to Blackpool but to other centres on the Fylde coast. Blackpool’s economy is weak, vulnerable and at a crossroads. It could either continue the very early tentative signs of a reversal of a long decline in its fortunes and slowly recover; or it could continue to weaken. The consequences of this decline in both the performance of the town centre and visitor economy, is high social deprivation, placing Blackpool as the most deprived place in Lancashire and one of the worst in the UK. Over the last decade the important role of Blackpool’s Town Centre, in forming a key part of regeneration in Blackpool and the Fylde Coast, has been consistently identified as a critical component part. The Town Centre is important not just as an economic driver on its own but also a key adjunct to a successful visitor economy. The need and opportunity presented by Blackpool has been recognised at a sub-regional, regional and national level.
2.3 Evidence provided to the consortium and presented to the enquiry in terms of retail and economic impact shows that Tithebarn succeeds principally by drawing in spend and jobs from all of Lancashire, with significant impact on Blackpool and the Fylde Coast. Only a relatively small part of the expenditure to support Tithebarn is through retaining spend in Lancashire which leaks to Manchester. Even if, in terms of sustainability and quality of Place, it was sensible, which it isn’t, for jobs created in Preston to be filled by people in Blackpool it will not happen. The Fylde economy is very self-contained and for relatively low wage retail jobs the cost of accessing those jobs would exclude Blackpool’s population from them.
2.4 Even with significant investment in some of Blackpool’s key public infrastructure; such as the seafront, tramway and strategic gateways; Private Sector investment is yet to follow without direct public support. This underlines the precarious position of the economy. Yet Blackpool has the potential to be an asset not just for the economy of Lancashire or of the North West but for the UK.
2.5 The impact of Tithebarn will be felt from the point of an approval, not just when completed. An approval even on a scheme not to be completed for several years would create uncertainty which would stop investment decisions in Blackpool.
As much as I am not a fan of Steve Weaver, this is one thing I feel he has got right. I stand firmly aganst Tithebarn, it is a massively oversized and unrealistic project that will just detriment the economies of other Lancashire towns and personally I wouldn’t even say Preston benefits from it. It is all just part of this ’3rd City’ egotrip. Preston is a working-class market town with a university with broke students, there is no demand for high-end retail. Also Preston’s biggest problem is that it lacks any kind of individuality, no town survives on shops, you need to have a unique selling point and Preston has nothing. I hope Tithebarn is stopped at all costs and hopefully Preston will come up with a fairer and more realistic project.
Try looking at Tithebarn from Preston’s point of view though. A big shopping centre of this sort of size will attract people. Especially those currently making the long trek to the Trafford centre (or in my case John Lewis at Cheadle Royal) or Liverpool One – or is it 1?.
Preston is ideally placed as a regional hub. It already has transport links that mean Fylde residents will make the journey to shop there, as will people from the North (Lakes, Lancaster and so on) as well as more local places. It’s likely to be successful. Why on earth should they care what happens to other towns as a result? Preston has it’s own deprivation problems (mainly caused by over-breeding of the poor) so they will have a strong case for anything to be built that creates employment even if the population is unlikely to be chosen to be actual staff.
I hate things being concentrated in “cities” but that has been Nu Labour policy (cities = deprivation = good Labour strongholds)
On the Blackpool side, at first I thought Phil might have spoofed the actual Steve Weaver statement then I had a horrible sinking feeling that he hadn’t and this was the actual document Blackpool is submitting. Blackburn is a terrible place nowadays (coincidentally with massive parking problems in the town centre so that residents only can buy permits) so the fact he worked there says a lot about Blackpool’s decline in my humble opinion. Stamping your feet like a toddler shouting “not fair” is unlikely to have any effect. Life isn’t fair as all real grown-ups learnt long ago.
Blackpool has a big economic bad point in being on the coast. Coastal towns always suffer economically because they’re always on the edge of things geographically – even cities on the coast are not the richest – Liverpool, Bristol, Plymouth.
But it does have a potential for holidaying and fun as people love beaches and Blackpool’s is great. It also has a massive base in the entertainment industry if it never really fulfils its potential to host massive events (which given the holiday accomodation surplus seems a market that should be tapped).
No, it’s not fake at all! In fact there’s a lot of stuff on Preston Council’s site about this, the only problem being it seems to crash my web browser every time I go on there.
Excellent comments Frustrated but this is part of the problem for me, yes Blackpool is a fun place but I am sick of us forever being derided as being ‘downmarket’ and ‘cheap and cheerful’. I want Blackpool to be a more vibrant, modern and upmarket place and letting Tithebarn go ahead does us no favours on that front. I love my hometown and I want to see better shopping facilities here, I can’t stand Preston and I don’t want to shop there. Also the real Liverpool One attracts people is because Liverpool offers so much more than fancy shops, it is a cultured, vibrant city with tourist attractions and lots to do unlike Preston.
As I’m personally not keen on Preston it’s hard to be objective. But they have a right to do what is best for them and Blackpool should concentrate on itself.
I also hate the cheap tatty image Blackpool has got – it’s no longer “fun” for the vast majority – rather more”cheap” and all about getting as much drink inside you for a STD fuelled weekend.
What Blackpool does have though is
1) Fantastic beach
2) Fantastic heritage buildings – the Tower, the Winter Gardens, the Piers
3) Established entertainment industry – Pleasure Beach including Hot Ice, The Grand, The Opera House/Winter Gardens
4) Enormous talent in the performing arts – just look at how many well-known names in tv are now Blackpol trained as well as increasingly a fledgling music scene which needs encouragement – why aren’t these people being used in productions here before they get that fame?
What is hasn’t got:
1) Good retail – ok I love M&S and Boots but they’re poor by most city standards and Debenhams even isn’t much better than that in Blackburn really. A few dress and shoe shops are really good but not much that’s special which Blackpool used to be known for. Issues – transport, parking, lack of money within the immediate area. Preston’s a bit better in most already – Tithebarn isn’t going to make that much of an impact on this
2) Good transport and parking – ok M55 makes it easy to get to the Helter Skelter roundabout – then it’s all a bit difficult. Trains are bad. Buses are never going to be a really viable option for anything except really local traffic.
3) Enough employment for the number of people. Too many social problems are because there’s too much housing (especially HMOs) versus work opportunities. We get (in St Annes too) too many social misfits from Manchester, Salford, Glasgow etc. that are unemployable due to lack of social skills and willingness to change. Wish we could put the lot to sleep and demolish the housing – it’s about the only way to really make a difference. Certainly don’t do as Labour did and encourage them to breed, not try and build lots of nice housing for them at other people’s expense.
Hey, Blackburn isn’t all that bad! Unlike Preston (and Blackpool for a matter of fact), we have a Cathedral, and a new extension to our Mall which will include a new Primark , Peacocks, Next Extra and other shops. Blackburn really is on the move, mayhbe a bit later than desired, but it’s getting there.
I didn’t know you lived in Blackburn, I don’t mind Blackburn I prefer it to Preston personally. I look forward to visiting your new Mall when it opens and I really like the excellent Witton Park.
Sorry Blackburn is horrid. I tried to deny it for years but it is a dump. No-one from my school year lives there anymore. Everyone that comes over says they wish they could move from Blackburn now. Having the Cathedral isn’t enough – though I have a soft spot having been baptised there and went to services for years. My sister was the second to be baptised in the new font with the completion of the lantern tower in 1967 (the first being the bishop’s child). But there’s too much gone wrong and a few new artworks and pretend regenerations to places such as Corporation Park (which was beautiful and safe when I was young) doesn’t make the place good. Witton Park I’d hardly describe as excellent (I take it you visited when the school wasn’t operating TB) – it’s ok only. I suppose unlike Blackpool it still has some green spaces rather than just one – Stanley Park.
However move to St Annes and you’ll find large numbers from Blackburn and Accrington here anyway. I found after I moved that I’d met my next door neighbour at a mutual friend’s party before, a former teacher lived in the next road and all those canons from the Cathedral were in Lytham (not Fosbrooke House but in their own homes). I still get notes at Christmas from friends who are councillors telling me what’s going on – but they are usually about what problems they’re trying to turn around, not how the place is much better.
There are some very valid points there, but indeed some of the regeneration projects are not false – Witton Park for example is (literally only down my road) , currently getting a new Adventure Park and Sensory Garden, to match their other 3 play areas. Also , The Mall has invested heavily in Blackburn , centre, knocking down the horrible Lord’s Square , and instead building a brand new market and shopping complex area there to be open for August. Yes, there are problems, but with labour guaranteed a seat here every election without fail, we ultimately have to put up with it.
Lord’s Square used to be nice. 70′s styling ok but clean, fairly good shops, open and pleasant. I agree it became a dive. As have so many other areas both in the centre and in the outskirts of the town. King Georges’ Hall is spoiled by having the Police Station and magistrates’ court so close by. The newer town hall (built in the 70s I think) was a terrible mistake of a building (has there ever been a period when the tiles weren’t in the process of falling off and being replaced) as was pulling down the original market. And the traffic system is a nightmare. I do really hate Preston, I’m fond of Blackpool. I want to love Blackburn of course I do, but it’s all tinged with a sense of disappointment and decay for me. All the brighter people in the town travel out to work in Preston, Bolton and Manchester. All the work regeneration areas are generally staffed by people who have been relocated from other East Lancs towns. Nothing has ever been planned or thought out properly in the town since the industrial revolution.
What does the NWRDA make of this?
will they now be scrapped?
The NWDA Chief Executive Steve Broomhead, a jobsworth if I ever saw one actually publicly endorsed the project much to my great annoyance and he blased Blackpool and Blackburn for objecting. He should be impartial and understand our concerns not attack us and take Preston’s side. Although I wonder if the fact he lives near Preston (Hutton) has anything to do with it!!!!
Steve Broomhead = Steve Airhead.
lets up the new government gives him a new job: collecting his p45
Why PC clerks to the court should be executed with Zyclon B: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/8688504.stm
I was quite diappointed when I originally read about this in the Lancashire Telegraph; I have been part of the Cathedral’s Music Department for nine years now, and to think that they ( who are a mere two years younger than me) should act like that in any building, let alone a place of worship , is disgraceful. May I also point out, that these two scum (and I much like the judge will not refrain from calling them that) , do not represent the majority of youths in Blackburn, in fact far from it.
I agree, its the idiot woman who complained about the magistrate calling them scum whom I detest,another Harriet Harman in the making.Now hes to be “investigated”,what a pile of shit,what a madhouse this country is.
SHE IS SCUM.
Just as an afterthought…………….I wonder if the 2 boys happened to be MUSLIMS?
That might explain why.
That was the first thing I thought when I saw this on North West tonight. All the white indigenous people the reporter asked about it were 100% behind the magistrate.
The muslim couple thought it was wrong.
Go figure. Article coming up about it.
nice one Phil!
I think they were white. I think the muslim couple were they way inclined because the incident was in the church, not a mosque. It’s a complete myth in PC brigades that you have to be white to be racist and shows their complete and utter ignorance on the subject.
Oh just to add – the campaign in favour of supporting the magistrate is also Asian. There’s a lot of support for respecting religion of any kind within the Asian community.