The report by Sir Michael Lyons in 2004 set out a new way of thinking towards public service reform throughout the UK, which included the proposed relocation of 20,000 jobs outside of London and the South East of England.

Located within the North West of England, Preston is more than capable of offering not only a skilled workforce, but also a diverse and cost-effective range of property solutions and a lifestyle that is second to none. A comprehensive demographic profile of Preston can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

Preston is established as the administrative and commercial centre for Lancashire and there is already a significant public sector presence, with the Department for Work and Pensions, Tax Credits, HM Revenue & Customs and DVLA all represented in the area. These and other national and local government organisations (listed below) contribute to the city employing over 37% of the local workforce in public services, with over 4,000 of these being civil service employees:

• Dept of Work & Pensions
• Tax Credit Office
• HM Revenue & Customs
• Social Security Benefits Agency
• DVLA
• Crown Prosecution Service
• Dept of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Valuation Office Agency
• Lancashire County Council
• University of Central Lancashire
• Preston College
• Business Link Northwest
• Lancashire Learning & Skills Council
• Jobcentre Plus
• Lancashire & South Cumbria Agency (NHS)

Connectivity

Preston is situated at the crossroads of the North-South and East-West motorway corridors (M6, M61, M55 and M65), which means that 25% of the UK workforce is within an hour’s drive and 60% can be reached in 2 ½ hours.

The major North West conurbations of Manchester and Liverpool are within 45 minutes drive time and it’s only 2 hours by train to London on the West Coast Mainline – the route running from London Euston to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Rail links are also available to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and cross-country destinations.

Workforce

Firmly established as the commercial and administrative capital of Lancashire, Preston has a diverse economy and a skilled local workforce that reflects it’s strategic role in the county’s fortunes. It is also home to the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), which is one of the largest in the UK, with over 32,000 students and 2,800 staff, and plays a significant role in the regeneration of the local economy from it’s city centre campus.

The university offers over 500 undergraduate courses and approximately 250 taught postgraduate programmes. Government data reveals that 95% of graduates are in employment or further study six months after graduation - one of the highest rates in the UK and the second highest in the North West.

Accommodation

Prime office space in Preston is available at very competitive rental rates compared to other cities in the North West. The average cost of £14.50 per square foot is nearly half the price of Manchester prime rents at £28.50, and significantly lower than Liverpool (£18), Chester (£18) and Salford (£18.50)*. Full details of available office space in Preston can be obtained on-line at sites and premises search.

City growth

Preston’s recent history of economic growth, and it’s likelihood in the future, led the North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA) to appoint GVA Grimley Ltd (October 2008) to undertake a study on the ‘Economic Potential of Preston’. Since 1998, employment in Preston has increased by 15% (even more if the wider travel to work area of Central Lancashire is considered) and this is almost double the average for the North West Region. A significant number of these jobs have been in the public sector, with public administration and defence, education and health, plus social work accounting for almost 15,000 of the new jobs.

The study suggests that the city could make an even greater contribution to regional growth and could offer a counterbalance to the Manchester and Liverpool conurbations. A key point is that Preston can attract the higher value investment that other towns in Lancashire cannot. With this in mind, the City Council is seeking to progress a Central Business District for the city centre, to create 21st century office accommodation, designed to meet the current needs of both private and public sector employers.

The city has a wide range of national and independent stores located in the retail centre and there are proposals for wholesale redevelopment in the adjacent Tithebarn area, which will include major new retail development to boost it’s retail offer. Further details of these proposals are available at Tithebarn Project.

Contact

Preston is committed to supporting civil service and corporate relocation and the City Council is aware of the issues currently facing Government departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

To find out more about investment opportunities in Preston and what the city can offer, log onto our dedicated website Preston; New City, New Opportunities.

Document links

Document downloads	File Size
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Preston Demographics - June 2009 (PDF)	119KB

Date Updated: 21/07/09