Is Preston heading along a cul-de-sac with the Tithebarn Project? For many years the Casino was going to be the saviour of Blackpool, the ‘Las Vegas’ of Lancashire. When the rug was pulled Blackpool had a spell of total loss of confidence having been frozen in anticipation for years. It seems Preston is going through a spell when the Tithebarn Project is it’s main development and until it is resolved then the bus station and buildings in that area are probably getting less maintenance than they would normally receive and who knows what else, a sort of Tithebarn Syndrome.
Blackpool did eventually have more plans and received a lot of cash for promenade extensions, new tram system, shopping malls and repaving the centre but this has happened late and its main conferences have been lost. So what options are Preston exploring if the Tithebarn Project is lost or watered down and does it matter?
At present the council are not admitting there any unsurmountable problems and this is understandable. Behind the scenes other options must be considered. For example the bus station is an impressive building but maybe it doesn’t need to be an island and maybe M&S would like a store on the west of the building using the car park as its drive in.
On the other hand I don’t know what M&S thinking on this is. Are they looking for an additional store or is this a drive in store.
The bus station / railway station location continues to be a big negative for Preston, not to mention where any high speed line, if it arrives, might be. Surely this needs an improvement.
Then there is the loss of face of admitting defeat to the glee of Blackburn and Blackpool. This should be discounted, although easily said. Lend Lease the remaining Tithebarn contractor seem to be an adaptable company who have been involved in developments of all kinds the world over and maybe as a single lead developer they can offer a plan that doesn’t appear as threatening but over time will become as big as Tithebarn.