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A car-friendly city? Not even close yet
Lancashire Evening Post | 26th July 2010

Transport in Preston needs to improve if the city is to avoid major congestion problems as its regeneration gathers pace, according to campaigners.

Transport and business bosses say city leaders need to concentrate on improving routes in and out of the city for shoppers and visitors – especially if the £700m Tithebarn rebirth gets the go-ahead.

It comes after a new survey placed the city in the bottom half of the country in terms of how car friendly it is.

According to the research by Virgin Money, which examined criteria including petrol prices, the cost of parking for two hours, the number of speed cameras and the level of car crime, Preston is less car friendly than near neighbours Blackburn and Blackpool.

It is ranked 41 out of the 65 major towns and cities surveyed, with St Helens in Merseyside coming out on top.

Aidan Turner-Bishop, of the Lancashire Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Everybody who has looked at Tithebarn knows transport is a weak spot and they have never really got to grips with it.

“People are going to use cars as long as they think they are cheap enough. If the council is going to build a mini Trafford Centre in the middle of the city, how are people going to get there?”

Frank McKenna, chairman of private business lobby group Downtown Preston in Business, said: “It is important because I think we have been fairly consistent in saying however much politicians want to get people out of their cars, the fact of the matter is an awful lot of business people, through choice and necessity, what to use the car.

“If we are to grow as a city, it is important that car users are treated not as pariahs but as people who are welcome.”

Several major cities are ranked as being worse than Preston, including Liverpool, Manchester, which is second bottom, and the least car friendly city, London. Mr McKenna added: “The survey does not reflect where Preston deserves to be.”

If the Tithebarn regeneration is given the go-ahead by the Government later this year, it is hoped the eventual development will bring thousands of extra shoppers and visitors here.

Coun Eric Fazackerley, deputy leader of Preston Council, said council bosses are working on a major transport plan and said the survey was “subjective”.

He added: “Lancashire County Council is currently doing a county-wide transport plan. Preston councillors went last week to a seminar where various ideas were presented for rail, road, buses and cycling.”