The new look Fishergate

Preston’s main shopping street’s facelift is set to be extended as the government announced more funding for Lancashire.

A £233.9 million injection of cash for the county includes funding for Lancashire County Council to extend the Fishergate project further up the street.

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The new layout of Fishergate has been dividing opinion among Prestonians since the barriers were taken away in June but the county council are preparing to carry on all the way to the bus station with the roadworks.

The funding agreement means the pedestrian-focused layout would go from the current point where it ends, half-way down Fishergate, all the way to Preston Bus Station.

The new look Fishergate

Leader of Preston city council Peter Rankin said: “This deal is very good news.

“Fishergate is looking really impressive now, and although some people have been a bit concerned about the shared space, it means that pedestrians will have more space, and we’ve got cafes with seats outside now.”

“I was walking behind a couple the other day who commented that it looked really odd that the scheme suddenly stops at one point, but that’s because that’s all the county council had funding for.

“Now we can continue it all the way up to the station, and it will look fantastic.

“It’s going to be a very big scheme, and it will show that things are happening in Preston. Things are really taking shape in Preston at the moment.”

The Fishergate scheme is the only Preston-based work to be backed for the next financial year in the county, although the funding pot does indicate funding for the Broughton bypass and Preston Western Distributor in future years.

Both are new link roads which are backed as part of the City Deal plan for Preston.

County Councillor Jennifer Mein, Leader of Lancashire County Council, said of the Lancashire Growth Fund cash: “We’re delighted that our Growth Deal will secure significant new investment to boost growth across the whole of Lancashire.

“It is clear that central government has confidence in our plans for future economic growth. Over the coming years, we will work hard to deliver new jobs, new homes and new business growth opportunities, which will help to re-establish Lancashire as a leading national economic centre.”

What do you think? Good news for the city or do you not like the Fishergate changes? Let us know in the comments below