Breaking the Bottle Necks with the Central Lancashire Transport Plan to 2025

Posted on 12 December 2012 by Pete of MIP
More Parkway stations and bus routes planned for Preston while the bus station is to be halved in size and car park spaces reduced by around a 1000.

More Parkway stations and bus lanes planned for Preston while the bus station is to be halved in size and car park spaces reduced by around a 1000.

Lancashire County Council today published a transport paper that will be subject of public consultation in front of a government inspector in early 2013. The cost of the plan is estimated at £275million. It isn’t clear if a replacement Preston Bus Station is included.

In summary the plan includes improved road, rail and bus links with parkway stations, improved junctions and bus routes. The objective being to ensure that business investment in Lancashire isn’t constrained by transport issues. It certainly seems good progressive thinking.

Yet if transport is so significant, is Preston Council’s half size bus station and removal of 1000 parking spaces a good idea.  Most significantly it isn’t clear that the funding for any of this is available at this time.  You might think Preston Council would not vote to knock down the bus station without there being funding on the table for a new one.

A very ambitious plan would include a link from the A582 to the M55 via a river crossing west of the dock.

The plans include:

– a new road linking the M55 near Bartle with the A583/584 near Clifton to support new housing in North West Preston and the Enterprise Zone employment site at Warton.

– capacity upgrades to the A582 between Cuerden and the A59 at Penwortham.

– Penwortham Bypass direct link between the A582 Broad Oak roundabout and A59 west of Penwortham.

– improvements to roads to make it easier for people to catch the bus, walk or cycle. Focussing on nine ‘public transport priority corridors’ that follow all the main routes into Preston city centre, from Moss Side, Hutton, Warton, North West Preston, Broughton, Longridge, and Chorley, and Euxton/Buckshaw Village between Leyland and Chorley.

– introduction of more bus only lanes.

– improvements to rail stations at Preston, Leyland and Chorley, a new ‘parkway’ station to serve North West Preston would be pursued at Cottam.

– space to be given over to pedestrians and the opportunity to green public spaces, in areas such as Seven Stars, Hough Lane and Towngate, Tardy Gate, Bamber Bridge, Penwortham, Lane Ends, Broughton, Ribbleton Lane and New Hall Lane.

Central Lancashire Core Strategy – plans for development adopted jointly by Chorley, Preston and South Ribble district councils following a public examination earlier this year in front of a government-appointed Planning Inspector. Without this scale of highways and transport improvements.

The cost of the proposals is estimated to be in the region of £275 million, with various sources of public and private funding identified to support it. Key amongst these are developer contributions collected through planning obligations and the community infrastructure levy.

Thanks to the Lancashire Evening Post for bringing this report to our attention.

Reference Lancashire County Council report.

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Fracking in Lancashire

Posted on 12 December 2012 by Pete of MIP

The British Geological Survey will release their figures in the new year for the amount of gas beneath Lancashire north and south of Preston. The Times (8th Dec) states they have learnt it is 300 trillion cubic feet. Far higher than previously stated and it is said up to 40% could be extracted at a lower price than current gas. Cuadrilla, the drilling company, have said they will drill 800 wells in 16 years and create 5,600 jobs.

Opponents, including some local and national groups, say it may pollute the water-table, cause tremors, create traffic, is a fossil fuel heating the planet which is causing climate change and that green energy sources should be used.

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Preston Bus Station Demolition

Posted on 8 December 2012 by Pete of MIP

A Preston Councillor was interviewed on Friday’s BBC North West Tonight. The gist of his statement was that the council could not afford to refurbish and keep open Preston Bus Station while it was under pressure on budgets for front line services.

This is the opposite to what he should have said. In times of hardship it is the duty of the council to think beyond the short term and protect the long term resources of Preston. If we destroy significant buildings to pay for a bit of short term difficulty there will be nothing of merit left. Good things always cost more than poor things.

To destroy infrastructure to pay for services is like knocking down your house to pay for heating. Soon there will be nothing to heat. We are often told that infrastructure comes from a different budget to front line services, however, it seems when it suits them it doesn’t.

Another factor is what interest rates can local authorities borrow at, and what grants are available to maintain such buildings. Blackpool Council purchased the Tower and Winter Gardens using the argument that a local authority can borrow much more cheaply than a company. The Tower is operated by Merlin Entertainments who pay the council. Perhaps no-one is interested in operating a bus station and car park but what options have the council considered?

It seems that this is a very serious decision by the council and the public should be advised how the decision was made and what the options are. In Winckley Square the council proposed swinging letters, searchlights and a totem pole, this doesn’t inspire confidence that this decision is wise.

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Preston Bus Station to be destroyed by lack of vision

Posted on 7 December 2012 by Pete of MIP
Preston Bus Station an iconic building to be demolished.

Demolition of Preston Bus Station will leave an anonymous space where once was a late 20th Century icon.

Preston Bus Station destroyed by vandals might be a bit hard.  Yet Preston Council have neglected the building and then announced that it will cost too much to refurbish. Even though it is one of Preston’s main features.

Quoting huge costs the council seeks to justify its case. Yet in nearly every case it looks like the council has opted for Gold Plated Solutions Ltd to do the work and since when did a council pay £2m interest on a £23m loan.

The council has let it deteriorate so it doesn’t look so good at close inspection and many will be taken in by that.  Yet from a distance it becomes more iconic with every passing year. Along with the Harris Museum and St Walburge’s it is surely a symbol of Preston and how it was prospering beyond the cotton era.

It is situated a mile from the railway station so if they said it was being moved then maybe that would increase the case. Or if they said something equally magnificent was going in its place. But no, this end of the centre is going to become a small bus station and a car park.  Welcome to Preston or is it Bury or Blackburn.  Maybe like Blackpool it will have no bus station and no-one knows where the buses are and they jam the streets.

There might be an option for knocking down half of it to leave a shortened building although no doubt that would be said to cost even more.

There is something solid and magnificent that adds to the claim to City status about the bus station. The other towns will be laughing and saying no Tithebarn, no iconic bus station, Preston is falling, come to us.

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Owner of the former BTR Leyland sells off rail interests

Posted on 29 November 2012 by Pete of MIP

When I left school I went for an interview at BTR (British Tyre and Rubber) in Leyland but luckily they didn’t want me. That factory closed with the downturn in manufacturing and end of Leyland Motors as a stand-alone company. BTR then became part of Invensys, makers of control systems.   It was announced yesterday that Siemens of Germany will buy out Invensys Rail for £1.74bn.  Invensys will then become a software, systems and control equipment company for oil, gas plants and domestic appliances, and be able to pay off its large pension debt.  Invensys shares have risen, shareholders will take a payment from the deal as well.

Regretfully another British industrial activity is heading for overseas control.  Invensys have interests in Chinese railways and are working on Crossrail in the UK.  It seems that as British rail investment has increased we have become mainly importers of trains and now the signalling technology is going to be controlled overseas.  Our prolonged debates about transport and infrastructure in general is no help to creating the stable strategy that investment in manufacturing requires.  Yet this seems to be financially a good deal for the company.

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Police Commissioners – Labour candidate wins Lancashire

Posted on 25 November 2012 by Pete of MIP

The Labour candidate, Clive Grunshaw, won the Police Commissioners £85,000 a year role in Lancashire on a 15% turn out and winning 39% of the first votes.  This gives him about 6% support overall, and a lot of indifference.

Not a job most would look forward to, so we wish him well.  To interject into the system will take some teeth, although the powers given to the commissioner give him some bite and a person of substance will make themselves felt.  The local BBC news gave the Merseyside commissioner the most publicity and she didn’t give the impression she’d take any prisoners if she was crossed.

We should give this a go and see how it works. There is a feeling that the police should be seen more everywhere, whether that can be achieved without more police and by cutting paperwork, like the government wants, is to be seen.

Politicising the police is a worry and we’ve already seen the new commissioner making statements that could be said to be critical of the government. We’ve also seen this week, in Rotherham, that certain political views can be read as unacceptable so there could be a fear related to this.

Overall we’ll hope the new system works for everyone and that it will get more support and interest as it goes on.  Although it is quite possible that continued dis-interest is more likely.

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Police Commissioners – voting

Posted on 10 November 2012 by Pete of MIP

It seems a bad idea to let each region have a police force led by someone with a political allegiance.  However an election is being held on the 15th November for Police Commissioners.

From a simple and non-party perspective it seems that law and order is likely to be best supported by a Conservative or a UKIP candidate.  Although at the moment the Conservatives seem to be cutting back the police and saying they can operate more efficiently. Perhaps there is a case for that, but it might be a better idea to make them operate more efficiently and spend some of the saving on more police.  The riots in London and around the country a couple of years ago showed how thin and impotent the blue line is when challenged by a violent mob, and the TV programme ‘999 What’s Your Emergency’ shows that more and stronger policing is required.

I read a statement from the Conservative candidate, Tim Ashton, that he wants 20mph speed limits to be widespread.  I’d support this in front of schools and perhaps at school finishing times but it seems ridiculous driving at a snails pace in second gear on an empty road for miles like in Garstang and Knott End. For me this counts him out and his statement seems to parrot the party line which is another negative in showing lack of imagination.

For these reasons, although I support membership of the EU and dislike UKIP, on this issue they have my vote.

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BAE Systems and EADS proposed merger

Posted on 21 September 2012 by Pete of MIP

BAE Systems announced that they are in talks to merge their business with the European Aeronautic, Defence and Space Company (EADS). This naturally arouses some fears ranging from a personal job level up to a national security level.

In 1999 BAE Systems was formed by merging British Aerospace (BAe) with Marconi Electronic Systems (MES) who have a large US presence.  At the time this was controversial as BAe had been talking to Daimler Chrysler Aerospace of Germany with a view to merging and the sudden move to merge with MES was seen by the Germans as a betrayal.  The Germans then merged with French and Spanish companies to form EADS which has most of the Airbus manufacture.

Then in 2006 BAE Systems sold off their commercial aircraft Airbus activity to EADS along with several thousand UK jobs to focus on the US defence market.  This broke the old rule of thumb that the cycle of defence and commercial aerospace tended to balance each other.

In 2012 that rule of thumb is working against the defence biased BAE Systems who are now looking for a partner with commercial aircraft work, worrying that western defence budgets are being slashed.

The merger is taking BAE Systems into what appears a political hotbed with the German, French and Spanish governments having shares in EADS. It might also be said that the UK government has a ‘golden’ share in BAE Systems although it is quite ‘hands-off’.

There are those who immediately get a rush of blood to the head at the mention of Europe and are making themselves heard without it being clear if their issue is political, defence or business oriented.  On the other side are those who say BAE Systems would be eaten by a merger with an American company.  We shouldn’t forget that BAE Systems build nearly all the main defence equipment for the UK and are the biggest and one of the most sophisticated engineering design and manufacturing companies in the UK,  if not worldwide. The products include submarines, ships, aircraft, vehicles, guns and electronic equipment.

In Lancashire BAE Systems has two large factories in the Preston area at Samlesbury and Warton.  The main projects are the Typhoon, F35, with R&D on UAVs as a seedcorn.  Product support is a major item as well.  Historically the sites have had their eye on the horizon for the next project that will bring continuity to design, development, manufacturing and support work.  The Typhoon is now looking for export work and is in a late phase of its cycle, F35 is mainly manufacturing so the future hinges on either a big new project or a step up in UAV work particularly for Warton.  The big new project, even if joined by the Typhoon partners looks unlikely and the UAV market is still in embryo form with new entrants, and France being looked on as a likely partner.

In theory a merger with EADS could bring in work currently outside the scope of BAE Systems if perhaps Typhoon could be re-organised.  Warton has been the main beneficiary of UK aviation industry consolidation, could it benefit from European consolidation?  On the other hand, sharing of knowledge with the US on the F35 might be made more difficult with a European merger.  Also whether the centre of gravity and decision making in military air vehicles will move towards Europe is a worry.  Overall it seems that without the big new project Warton will be looking at a gradual reduction and change of shape over time whatever happens.  Samlesbury should have a future as an F35 manufacturing and a support business for quite some time.   There are so many balls in the air that it’s hard to determine whether an EADS merger will change any of that. With defence there is always a national defence aspect that involves the government and so brings in politics related to national capability and jobs.  It could be said the safest thing to do is to stay in your bunker and resist the merger yet there is a much bigger picture that needs to be assessed if the local ship is to remain in a healthy form of whatever type.  Warton and Samlesbury have depended on huge projects and consolidation on these continues on the chessboard of the worldwide defence, technology and aviation industry.

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Preston Guild 2012 – that was the fabulous week that was

Posted on 10 September 2012 by Pete of MIP

Not a lot to say about Preston Guild 2012 –  just brilliant.  The processions, ceremonies, shows, events, displays and the crowds were the cake and the cream.   The small touches like the Temperance Display and the P3 20 added scattered a few thousands on top.   It was well planned and presented, professional and the weather played its part by behaving itself.  Congratulations to the Council and the staff, helpers and participants. Job well done!

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Preston Guild 2012 – I was there – Saturday 1st September 2012

Posted on 2 September 2012 by Pete of MIP

Preston Guild is once every 20 years so we weren’t going to miss this one.  We loved the Royal Jubilee, the Olympic Games and we were sure we’d enjoy Preston Guild.

It seemed everyone was in a great mood, the weather was good.  The streets were packed and the Square Food Festival ram jam full. The Vintage Weekend filled after the procession and Miller and Avenham Parks were in good form.

Read our account with photos on the webiste.

http://www.madeinpreston.co.uk/General/PrestonGuild2012report.html

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One Week to Preston Guild 2012: Our Plan

Posted on 27 August 2012 by Pete of MIP

Wake me up on Friday in time for Preston Guild.  There are some great things being planned, but here is our plan.

Saturday 1st September will be our main day. Will be fighting the crowds flooding in for the Final Proclamation on the Flag Market.  Then will we find a great spot to watch the Trades Procession and will we get a piece of Preston Cake City. These are major questions.

The proclamation is at 10.30am, the Trades Procession starts at 11am presumably from Moor Park so what time does it hit the centre, before 12?   The Square Food Festival with Victorian Pop Up Pie Shop in Winckley Square and drink as well!  Probably should get the Guild train if there is one.   Then those City cakes; will we be able to eat the Harris Museum Cake and what time is it eaten.

Fill up then float into Avenham Park to look at the Vintage Market on the Promenade and take in the atmosphere and activity in both Avenham and Miller Parks. My wife’s great at threadwork so we’ll be looking at craft.   There are plenty of displays and shows as well as Tringe Festival activities in the centre, but we’ll take that as it comes.

Discover Preston in the Harris Museum and Art Gallery will be a must see but maybe in mid-week and we had a preview when it was half open.  We’ve seen the Deltic in the Ribble Steam Railway so we’re already Guild hardened.

Question marks over going to the fair on Moor Park, sounds good.  Then there is the Torchlight Procession on Friday night.

Will we be get so carried away we buy a Preston Guild flag to hoist outside our house, and the mandatory plate or cup to be handed down as done by our forefathers.

Looking at the longer term weather forecast it looks dry on Saturday.  See you there!

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Local TV applicants in Preston

Posted on 14 August 2012 by Pete of MIP

The government is planning to grant licenses for up to 65 local TV stations. Applications are now in and successful ones will be announced later this year. They will be expected to start broadcasting within 2 years with many expecting to start well before then.  Freeview Channel  8 in England is to be used and Sky are proposing a Yellow Button option.

Whether this is a good idea is open to debate.  There are plenty of local and regional radio stations and  newpapers. Although some of these are under stress with competition from the internet which gives the ability to read and listen anywhere at any time to almost anything.

No doubt not all will succeed but if enough begin there is more chance that some will find a successful formula that can be spread about.  Although different places are likely to have different markets.

Interesting times; nothing ventured, nothing gained.

There are two applicants for Preston and these are:

Service name: Metro8 Preston
Contact: Romen Podzyhun
Public address:2 Park Lane, Leeds LS3 1ES
Email address: info@metro8.co.uk
Phone number: London: 0 203 603 9221 x.226
Toronto: +1 416 492 1595 x.226
Website: www.metro8.co.uk

Service name: YourTV Blackpool & Preston
Contact: Tony Carr
Public address: YourTV Blackpool & Preston Ltd c/o Flat 2 The Royals, 11 Links Gate, Lytham St Annes, FY8 3LJ
Email address:anthonydavidcarr@btinternet.com
Phone number: 01253 344 123
Website: www.yourtvblackpoolpreston.co.uk

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Virgin rail service in Preston decision due

Posted on 13 August 2012 by Pete of MIP

The familiar Virgin rail might be about to be exited from Preston station. This week a decision on which company runs the West Coast Main Line from the 10th December 2012 will be made. Rumour has it that First Group have bid much higher than Virgin. Although the decision is said to factor in service levels, the increased income for the government is weighing heavily  on the decision.

It is said by the rail unions that to achieve the cost saving First will cut back on service and staff, reconfiguring the trains to be more efficient, which doesn’t sound too attractive from a passenger point of view.

The government says that 40,000 extra seats a day over the whole network, with new and longer trains and improved stations and ticketing will be in the deal.  As an incentive for investment the contract will last for 15 years.

The West Coast Main Line has been relatively free of the business problems that occurred on the East Coast, despite a massive track upgrade that disrupted service for years.  The long term contract to encourage investment might have the opposite effect if paying the government more squeezes too hard. You might hope that an incumbent has better insight into the possibilities.  It will be a bit disappointing to lose the familiar Virgin look but sentiment isn’t a factor.

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Preston Guild 2012 turns up the heat

Posted on 11 August 2012 by Pete of MIP

Preston comes together as events are announced for the 2012 Guild.  Here are four unmissables:

The new multi-million pound ‘Discover Preston’ display in the Harris Museum, opened on 28th July, is something I’ve been burning to see.  On Friday 17th August 12noon to 3pm it will be closed for it’s official opening.  There’s a joke there somewhere.  Read about it on the Harris Museum website:

http://www.harrismuseum.org.uk/current-exhibitions/7-new-history-gallery

The Vintage Guild Weekend website and video have been produced with style and the food, craft, art, music, dancing, pop-up theatres will show Preston off in the attractive and decorative Miller and Avenham Parks and the Winckley Street area on September 1st and 2nd:    http://vintageguildweekend.com/

Watch the Vintage Guild Weekend YouTube video with Paul Hemingway:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXH_8iNrgKM&feature=player_embedded#!

The Deltic prototype at the Ribble Steam Railway in Preston is something I never thought I’d see and represents one of the most iconic things ever made in Preston.  Deltic locomotives were the pride of the East Coast Main Line hauling the top link expresses from Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley for over 20 years. Find out more on their website:

http://www.ribblesteam.org.uk/

The Made in Preston theme has been adopted by the Guild and 9 projects covering an imaginative range of themes including memories of English Electric and Leyland Motors will be presented.

http://www.prestonguild2012.com/made-in-preston

It can never be allowed to pass that Made in Preston has been the name of this website for over 10 years and will support the Guild whole heartedly but has no official links with it and gets no thanks.  None wanted though and no worries.  Come together, right now:

http://www.madeinpreston.co.uk/

 

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Heroes of Salamanca

Posted on 23 July 2012 by Pete of MIP

July 22nd, 1812. Salamanca, Spain.  Wellington’s troops defeat Napoleon’s in the first major victory of the Peninsular War that demonstrated the prowess of the Duke of Wellington, then an Earl. To mark this victory the Rifles were given the freedom of the City of Salamanca in a special ceremony that took place on the 20th to 22nd July 2012.

Today a trophy of that war stands in Fulwood Barracks, Preston:  The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, Lancashire Infantry Museum.  One of the two French ‘Imperial Eagles’ captured on that day is on display. This one belonged to the French 22nd Line Regiment and was taken by Ensign John Pratt of the Light Company of the 2nd Battalion, 30th First.  (much reduced account from the Times, an excellent write up on Saturday 21st July 2012).

http://www.lancashireinfantrymuseum.org.uk/

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Preston Guild – Honorary Burgesses Named

Posted on 20 July 2012 by Pete of MIP

To be a burgess at Preston Guild is quite an honour. Putting yourself into a line that goes back centuries.  It is a hereditary role so new ones are joined at the Guild Ceremony by existing burgesses and those who have had the honour passed down.

A former colleague who is a hereditary burgess jokingly described that when he appeared in the procession his pompous boss standing in the crowd nearly had a seizure.

Twenty new honorary burgesses for 2012 will be formally appointed at the Adjourned Guild Court on Saturday 8 September in the Guild Hall.

Their names have just been announced, it is an impressive list and good to read what they have done. They include some I’ve met and some recognised from their work such as:

Stephen Sartin who was art curator at the Harris Art Gallery and now presents interesting courses on the history of Preston at Alston Hall.  With one on Preston Guild on the 10th August.

Alan Crosby of the Lancashire Records Office who knows all there is to know about the history of the area and also gives great local history lectures, without notes it seems.

Some of Preston most successful businesses: Edwin Booth of Booths Supermarket and Eddie Topping of Barton Grange.  Ian Hall and Chris Miller whose businesses are familiar via their lorries have been a part of Preston for as long as most can remember.

Peter Ward who has spent a lot of time in Trade Union politics and charity work and who was once a long distance cyclist who we went to specially to watch in the Milk Race a very long time ago, maybe 50 years ago.

The full list with description of their work is contained on the Preston Council website which is linked here and downloads a pdf file. Impressive work.

Click here to the Council Guild Burgess webpage, the link to the names is halfway down on the left.

 

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Olympic Torch Relay in Preston

Posted on 30 June 2012 by Pete of MIP

The Olympic Torch passed through Preston on the 23rd June.  Some 10,000 turned out to watch it. It is fascinating how many watch this and why. We went to Garstang, the day before it went through Preston, and the weather was terrible.  Yet the streets of Garstang were packed.

There was the waiting in the rain, then the short cavalcade followed by a runner carrying a torch. Then it was gone. This has struck a chord with the public and seems to signal big support and interest in the games.  Let’s hope so and that it all goes well. This is the biggest sporting event in the world.

What next for Lord Coe? He’s been a great front man and must surely get more honours. It’s what the honours system is about, recognition for good work.

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New Hawk aircraft order from Saudi Arabia

Posted on 26 May 2012 by Pete of MIP

Some good news. The government of Saudi Arabia has ordered 22 Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers as part of a package of training equipment which includes 55 Pilatus PC21 basic training aircraft.  The Hawks will be delivered in 2016.

This will reduce the number of redundancies previously announced at the factories at Warton, near Preston, and at Brough, near Hull.  There was discussion about work being moved from Brough to Warton, whether this order will affect that isn’t known. Although the Daily Telegraph reported that the bulk of the work will take place at Warton and only 200 jobs at Brough will be saved out of 850. This seems to imply that some work will move.

The orders from the Government of Saudi Arabia have been a boon to the UK aircraft industry, the locality and the UK balance of payments since the early 1960’s when Lightning fighters were supplied. This was followed by Tornado and more recently by Typhoon.

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Preston Passion

Posted on 27 April 2012 by Pete of MIP

The Preston Passion play on Good Friday was shown live on BBC from Preston Bus Station.  Yes this sounds unromantic yet Preston Bus Station is a huge structure of unique style well suited to such a performance.

The performance used scenes of Preston and Lancashire, and local people played a major role.  Fern Britton hosted and Jamelia sang the finale.

The story was based on three stories including the cotton workers riots of 1842, a mother sending her son to war in 1916 and a young girl in difficulty in 2012.  Over 1 million are estimated to have watched the live performance on TV, although we watched it on iPlayer.

 

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New F35 Manufacturing Facility opened at BAE SYSTEMS Samlesbury

Posted on 27 April 2012 by Pete of MIP

BAE SYSTEMS opened a £150m manufacturing facility at Samlesbury near Preston in March. This will enable one rear fuselage a day to be produced for the F35 Joint Strike Fighter by 2016.

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