Urban Centres
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City, town, district and
local neighbourhood centres are the life blood of the local economy
and provide a sense of belonging and involvement which can help to
stimulate local identity. The role and function of these centres
must meet the needs of our communities, help to reduce social
exclusion, and create economic opportunities for everybody.
Government policy is to maintain the vitality and viability of town
centres by focusing development in the centres to strengthen and,
where appropriate, regenerate them. The government requires local
councils to actively promote growth and manage change in town
centres, and to identify a hierarchy of centres which each have
their own function in the area.
Preston City Centre is the largest of the three main centres in the
Central Lancashire City area. It is the highest ranking centre in
Lancashire on non-food shopping and is the county’s commercial and
administrative centre. Even so, Preston City Centre requires further
investment (for example, in the Tithebarn Regeneration Area) to
maintain and improve its future position.
Chorley town centre has the best mix of shops, services, markets and
entertainment facilities in the southern part of central Lancashire
and is trading relatively well, but could be improved. Its evening
the markets has fallen and vacant shops can also give the town
centre a run-down appearance.
Leyland is the main town centre in South Ribble and recently there
has been considerable development in the food retail sector. The
town also has a market. However, its town centre is overshadowed by
Preston to the north and Chorley to the south. A retail study in
2004 concluded that the town centre was weak and fragmented, with a
poor environment and public realm. The northern part of the town
centre is the focus of a pilot regeneration area, and the council
has commissioned a masterplan to provide a framework for improving
and investing in the town centre. District centres at Bamber Bridge,
Penwortham and Tardy Gate are also pilot regeneration areas. They
have huge potential to improve quality of life, built environment
and economic prosperity.
Government policy is opposed to new out of town shopping
developments, so they are not discussed in this section.
How do you think our urban centres can be improved in a sustainable
way as a focus for community activity?
Establishing a hierarchy of centres
Different types of centres perform different functions and as long
as this is properly recognised in policies which control the types
and sizes of new development, each centre can meet the needs of
customers in complementary rather than competing ways.
The draft Regional Spatial Strategy does not fully reflect the need
to have a policy hierarchy that reflects the roles and functions of
different centres, as it only specifically identifies the major
regional centres of Manchester and Liverpool. Within the Central
Lancashire City Region, only Preston is specifically named in the
proposed regional policy.
What hierarchy do you think is appropriate for our centres?
Trading performance of centres
The government has identified key indicators for measuring the
trading performance of centres. These include:
• the number of different retailers;
• the proportion of street level property which is vacant;
• the number of pedestrians;
• public perception of safety;
• the state of the environment; and
• customers’ views.
Where there is evidence that centres are in decline with, for
example, an increasing number of vacant shops, it may be necessary
to assess the scope for strengthening those centres. This can be
done by focusing on providing a wider range of services and
facilities, and promoting improvements to the environment. Existing
land and buildings may be used more effectively by developing and
promoting a new or specialist role for a centre and encouraging
specific types of use.
What measures do you think could be out in place to help improve the
trading performance of our centres?
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