Towns Fund Investment
Towns Fund is a £3.6 billion fund established by the government to level up towns and cities around the country.
In Autumn 2019, the government invited 100 towns and cities across the country to submit proposals for funding from GOV.UK - Towns Fund.
Preston was one of the cities awarded £20.9 million of Town's Funding to support a series of regeneration projects in the Harris Quarter with the aim of improving Preston City Centre's leisure and cultural offer.
These projects will make up the first stage of Preston's ambitions 15 year City Investment Plan (2020 - 2035).
Through the Towns Fund Strategic Board, there has been many discussions with residents, businesses and other organisations to identify projects that will help deliver a huge economic and cultural benefit to the city.
Towns Fund Strategic Board members
The following Board members meet quarterly, or as required, to discuss funding initiatives and ideas:
- John Chesworth (Chair) - Managing Partner of Harrison Drury
- Rob Binns - Director of Cotton Court
- Councillor Matthew Brown - Leader of Preston City Council
- Councillor Valerie Wise - Cabinet Member for Community Wealth Building at Preston City Council
- Adrian Phillips - Chief Executive of Preston City Council
- Chris Hayward - Director of Development and Housing at Preston City Council
- Jackie Wilding - Director of Resources at Preston City Council
- Chris Blackburn - Head of City Growth and Regeneration at Preston City Council
- Julie Palmer - Regeneration Manager at Preston City Council
- Sir Mark Hendrick - Member of Parliament for Preston
- Melanie Close - CEO of Disability Equality North West
- Kelly Illingworth - Turner - Assistant Principal at Cardinal Newman
- Beckie Joyce - Radics Consulting
- Matt Cowburn - Director at Cowburn Watson-Box
- Paul Evans - Assistant Director, Area Lead at BEIS, Cities and Local Growth Unit
- Peter Thomas - Programme Manager, Strategic Development Team, at Lancashire County Council
- Jane Anthony - Head of Curriculum and Development at UCLan
- Steve Burns - Head of Strategic Development at Lancashire County Council
- Anne-Marie Parkinson - Investment Programme Manager at Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP)
- Ruth Connor - Executive Director of Strategic Marketing at The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan)
How the Board decided which projects received funding
31 projects were put forward for consideration. Not all projects were eligible for the funding, so the board shortlisted the submissions.
Each project was ranked based on critical success factors. This helped the board to decide how closely each project matched the government's vision for Towns Fund - to drive the sustainable economic regeneration of our towns for long-term economic and productivity growth.
Some projects may also aid in Preston's recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and attract further private investment to the city.
Project criteria
Shortlisted projects had to fit the following criteria:
- be delivered in the 2021 - 2026 timeframe
- contribute to inclusive growth
- align with Preston's key strategies and policies
Shortlisted projects
To find out which projects were shortlisted to receive Towns Fund see shortlisted projects.
Next steps
The shortlisted projects have now moved forward in their development starting with the Harris Quarter Pop-Ups Programme, a series of cultural events, installations and visitor attractions in Preston aimed at bringing in more residents and visitors to the city centre.
The programme is delivered through £1 million in accelerated funding as part of the Towns Deal and the governments aim to help places 'build back better' in the wake of Covid-19.
For updates on the projects see the Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme (2021 - 2026) and our business blog.