City gets all Animate-d at leisure scheme complex launch

By Ged Henderson

10 Apr 2025

Nick Park unveilling Feathers McGraw

City council leader Matthew Brown is in no doubt. The opening of the new £45m Animate cinema and leisure complex is proof the city has finally cast off the shadow of the failed Tithebarn regeneration scheme.

Animate, many years in the making, has been built on the former indoor market and car park site and is fully owned by the city council.

Speaking at the official opening of Animate by Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park, Councillor Brown said lessons had been learned
from Tithebarn and a very different approach was now being taken to deliver regeneration.

The collapse of the £700m Tithebarn redevelopment plan in 2011 was seen at the time as a catastrophic blow to Preston’s fortunes.

Tithebarn, which would have seen widescale shopping and leisure facilities and a new bus station built in the city centre, was abandoned
after department store John Lewis pulled out saying it was no longer financially viable.

The bombshell announcement left the city bruised and battered and facing an uncertain future. But what has risen from the ashes of the
failed project is a complete rethink of Preston’s regeneration strategy.

Animate is playing a massive part in that. The flagship scheme is one of six major projects in Preston’s Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme, a £200m programme, including £20.9m of funding by the government to support several regeneration projects.

The leisure scheme supports the council’s commitment to ‘Community Wealth Building’, which it describes as “a fair, inclusive and ethical approach to fostering sustainable economic development and prosperity for all in Preston”.

Measures to deliver that include using locally based businesses and the creation of approximately 300 full and part-time jobs when the complex is fully open.

Pointing out the involvement of “very large corporate developers” in Tithebarn who were “not based in the city”, Coun Brown said: “This is a very different way of doing regeneration, a way in which we can all benefit.

“We are very confident it is going to be a success. As a city authority we have put our money where our mouth is and invested in our community to benefit people.”

He added: “We don’t want to have corporations running the show, we want to do it inclusively.

“It is going to have huge benefits, it is not just about jobs and money, it is about how people feel in the city centre.”

Hundreds of people came to see Animate opened by Preston legend Nick Park – who also unveiled a new four-foot-high statue of one of
his animated characters, ‘Feathers McGraw’.

The Oscar-winning film-maker spoke of his pride in being from the city and added: “It’s so good to have a cinema in the city centre. It makes
the community feel important. It is for us to enjoy and if it inspires people that is great.”

Animate features The Arc Cinema with eight screens, 16-lane Hollywood Bowl bowling alley with gaming zone, public realm, a socialising unit and 164-space basement car park.

It will also be home to restaurant brands Ask Italian, Cosmo, Taco Bell, Argento Lounge and a variety of street food outlets, and a cocktail bar in Mad Giant Food Hall, run by Northern Lights Group.

The scheme was delivered by Maple Grove Developments (MGD), part of Preston-based contractor Eric Wright Group, on behalf of Preston City Council. Commercial property agents Sanderson Weatherall are the estate managers.

Enjoyed this? Read more from Ged Henderson

Latest news

1

Capital gains for Graham and Brown as showroom opens in London Graham and Brown King's Road in London

Capital gains for Graham and Brown as showroom opens in London

19 Sep 2025

2

Pleasure Beach Resort takes home four prizes at UK Theme Park Awards Pleasure Beach Resort’s David Hill, head of rides, and Stuart Cumming, marketing manager with the awards

Pleasure Beach Resort takes home four prizes at UK Theme Park Awards

18 Sep 2025

3

Brookhouse Aerospace invests more than £500k in additional machinery to support growth Brookhouse Aerospace machining facility

Brookhouse Aerospace invests more than £500k in additional machinery to support growth

18 Sep 2025

4

Growth Plan maps out £20bn-plus investment journey Mo Isap from the Lancashire Business Board with the plan

Growth Plan maps out £20bn-plus investment journey

18 Sep 2025

5

Post Office future secured as council explores new options Abington Street Post Office

Post Office future secured as council explores new options

17 Sep 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: September
Sept Freelancer (1).png.png
LBV Hub Networking
23 Sep 2025 - 23 Sep 2025

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: September

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

Your Business, Your Region: Making sense of devolution and Local Government Reorganisation
Chorley Council breakfast event new
LBV Hub Networking
23 Sep 2025 - 23 Sep 2025

Your Business, Your Region: Making sense of devolution and Local Government Reorganisation

Worden Hall, Leyland, PR25 3DH

08:00 - 11:00

Speed Networking with BNI
2.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
24 Sep 2025 - 24 Sep 2025

Speed Networking with BNI

Chorley Football Club, Chorley, PR7 3DU

16:00 - 19:00

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD for ITSA) drop-in day
MTD drop in session.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
25 Sep 2025 - 25 Sep 2025

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD for ITSA) drop-in day

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD for ITSA) drop-in day, Blackburn, BB1 5QB

10:00 - 16:00

The Marketing Metrics That Matter – Sept 25
Metris 25.09.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
25 Sep 2025 - 25 Sep 2025

The Marketing Metrics That Matter – Sept 25

Door4 Office, Burnley Wharf, Burnley, BB11 1JG

09:00 - 11:00

The Marketing Meetup IRL: Lancashire - September
TMM Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
25 Sep 2025 - 25 Sep 2025

The Marketing Meetup IRL: Lancashire - September

Chorley, PR7 2SL

18:00 - 20:00

Help to grow management course
Help to grow - barriers to growth.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
26 Sep 2025 - 16 Dec 2025

Help to grow management course

Preston Campus , Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 15:00

Chamber Breakfast Networking – October
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
07 Oct 2025 - 07 Oct 2025

Chamber Breakfast Networking – October

Soul Bowl, Morecambe, LA4 4BU

08:00 - 10:00

The Future of Work: Tech, teams and thriving in a changing world
Oct PTC.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
07 Oct 2025 - 07 Oct 2025

The Future of Work: Tech, teams and thriving in a changing world

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 19:30

HR Recharge: Empowering today’s workforce, transforming tomorrow’s workplace
Muted Blue (4).png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
08 Oct 2025 - 08 Oct 2025

HR Recharge: Empowering today’s workforce, transforming tomorrow’s workplace

Crow Wood Hotel & Spa Resort, Burnley, BB12 0RT

08:30 - 13:30

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV124 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin