Animate public realm improvements underway

Work has begun on improving the public realm and lighting near the new Animate leisure scheme in Preston.

The project, part of the £200m Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme, centres around a section of Lancaster Road adjacent to the Market Hall and Old Vicarage Road.

The Illuminate and Integrate works, to be delivered by Bamber Bridge-based Maple Grove Developments, include a pedestrian and cycle-friendly space with trees, public seating and an expanded circulation space around the market to create opportunities such as alfresco dining. New lighting will also be installed.

This new space will also offer improved linkages to the St John Shopping Centre. 

John Chesworth, chair of Preston Towns Fund Strategic Board, said: "While the Harris Quarter is well connected to the rest of the city centre via an existing network of streets, many of these routes are dated, having been designed around vehicular movement, limiting the potential for cycle and pedestrian use.  

"Illuminate and Integrate will complement the excellent architecture within the Harris Quarter while improving the quality of the public spaces. A key aspect of the scheme is to encourage footfall and dwell time in the day and evening, which is allied to our vision for the Harris Quarter to be the go-to cultural destination in Preston."

Nick Hague, project director at Maple Grove Developments, concluded: “The Illuminate and Integrate works are an important piece of the jigsaw in the regeneration of the Harris Quarter and will help to stimulate cultural, economic and social viability.”