A lobby group representing Preston and Lancashire’s businesses is organising an event asking whether Preston is a town or a city.

Preston received its status in 2002 but the Downtown Lancashire in Business group want to question if the city has made the most of it.

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The Big Conversation event will take place on Tuesday 21st September from 2pm at Preston North End and include a panel with city council leader Peter Rankin and Paul Swinney from the think tank Centre for Cities.

Downtown Lancashire chairman Frank McKenna said the event would discuss how the city can begin to promote itself despite the collapse of the Tithebarn project.

He said: “City status was granted to Preston a decade ago. Have we done enough to capitalise on that and is Preston seen as an attractive investment opportunity for businesses? This initial event will explore those questions.

“But, more importantly, throughout this year, Downtown will be hosting a ‘big conversation’ with the county’s private sector, many of whom have not got a voice.

“Lancashire is one of the few regions left in the country that believes that genuine private sector engagement can be achieved by dealing with and selecting the ‘usual suspects’ to sit on the few forums that do exist.”

The event is one of many which will explore business in the county to celebrate the fifth birthday of Downtown Lancashire.

Preston was awarded city status in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Read the BBC report from that historic day.

To register to attend you need to log onto the Downtown Lancashire in Business website.

Vote in our poll below, does Preston feel more like a town or city?

What do you think? Do you feel Preston is a city or just a big town? Let us know your views in the comments below

Image credit to Tony Worrall