Lancashire Post readers share their 'wishlist' for Preston

Hundreds responded with suggestions on what would improve the quality of life for the 145,000 people living in the Preston area.

These were the top 5 that made your ‘wishlist’ for a better Preston.

Water park

What better way to cool off in the summer than grabbing your cossie and splashing around in a water park.

But presently, these attractions are few and far between, with families in Preston and South Ribble having to travel to Blackpool’s Sandcastle for a fun splash around on its many waterslides.

Big name stars and major events at Guild Hall

While Preston does have the Guild Hall, the curtain came down on the venue in 2019 amid a legal wrangle that ended up lasting four years.

Significant cuts to local government funding after 2010 forced the council to outsource the venue but the private operator was unable to make it sustainable.

Now that the Guild Hall is back under the control of Preston City Council, the venue is set to open its theatre doors once more.

In its heyday, the Guild Hall played host to music legends Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, The Jackson 5 – as well as other high-profile events such as the Snooker Championship.

Our readers have big hopes for the Guild Hall and want to see it return to its former glory with efforts made to draw world famous acts and events to the venue.

These were some of the stars you said you’d like to see perform.

Ice rink

Another fun family attraction that many would like to see is a permanent indoor ice rink. Blackburn has its Planet Ice with year round ice skating, disco sessions for both juniors and adults, as well as parent and toddler sessions.

Kids can also have a blast playing with the numerous ice scooters and toys that they lay on too. A fun activity for families to do together which is not only entertaining but also increases fitness.

Sadly, it means a trip up the M65 for those families in Preston and South Ribble who want to get their skates on as no such facilities are on hand in our area.

New department store

Since the closure of Debenhams, Preston has been left without a high-street department store. Many other stores have also closed since the coronavirus lockdowns decimated the economy.

With the surge in popularity of Amazon and online shopping, is there a place for a new department store in Preston?

Some of our readers think so, and say a new big name retail store would bring a much-needed boost to city centre shopping.

Better roads

Preston is undergoing some lengthy road and streetworks, with Friargate in particular suffering significant delays. City improvement projects – such as Friargate and the CYCLOPS junction, where Fisheragte Hill, Strand Road, Liverpool Road and Broadgate all meet – are expected to bring a number of benefits to those visiting the city.

But they have been met with significant delays, leading to huge disruption for motorists, shoppers and local businesses.

The Ringway and north Friargate development was due to be completed in spring 2023, but there is no sign of it nearing completion any time soon.

The street has become more undesirable, uninviting, inaccessible and unattractive for both shoppers and businesses. Vyne bar and restaurant in Friargate blamed the ongoing works for its closure, claiming the disruption made it ‘impossible’ to function as a viable business.