Taxi rank shake-up in Preston city centre to serve traffic free Friargate

Cabinet members are to debate closing the night-time cab stop opposite the Dog and Partridge pub as part of County Hall's pedestrianisation of the city's second shopping street.

And alternative ranks will be opened in nearby Heatley Street and further up Friargate - towards the university - to ensure passengers are not left stranded, especially at night.

At the moment the current Friargate stand between the junctions with Heatley Street and Hill Street, which can accommodate up to six black cabs, is only in use from 8pm to 6am. The new plans will create a brand new 24-hour cab stop for two taxis in Heatley Street close to the New Britannia Inn.

Passengers will also be able to get a cab at another new rank at the UCLan end of Friargate, at what used to be a bus stop outside the newly pedestrianised area. It will have room for four vehicles.

Preston's cabinet will be asked next Wednesday to revoke the existing rank because it will no longer be accessible due to the pedestrian zone currently being built. The cab stand was first opened in May 2014 following a request from the taxi trade.

It is one of 15 ranks across Preston, all-but one of them in the city centre. Only four - the railway station, Church Street, Lancaster Road and Tithebarn Street - are open to cabs 24 hours a day, with the remaining 11 available just for fares to supply the night-time economy.

Lancashire County Council is currently carrying out highway improvement works to Friargate North and Ringway. The focus of the scheme is to deliver an enhanced public realm, improve connections between the two halves of Friargate and improve sustainable travel.

A report to the cabinet says: "As part of the redevelopment process, consultation took place between officers from Lancashire County Council and the hackney carriage trade, with input from officers of the City Council, representatives of Preston Business Improvement District BID), together with a wider public consultation including local businesses.

"As part of the scheme, there will be no overall loss in hackney carriage spaces, but to enable the highway changes the hackney carriage stand requires revoking. No objections or representations to the proposed revocation have been received.

"The ‘Transforming Ringway and Friargate North Scheme’ supports the improvement of an enhanced public realm with improved connections between parts of the city and improved sustainable travel. An important part of the scheme is to remove vehicle movements from parts of Friargate North; giving priority to vulnerable road users and as a result the removal of the aforesaid hackney carriage stand is part of a series of improvements in the area.

"Not revoking the hackney carriage stand will mean that an area of highway will be restricted for the use of hackney carriages, but without any feasible access to be able to use the stand once all of the proposed access restrictions have been implemented as part of the wider scheme."