If you are thinking of buying property in Preston in Lancashire, whether you are an investor or a family relocating, or if you are a student looking to study here, this wonderful city based on the north bank of the River Ribbl has lots to offer.
House Prices 🏠
- Most expensive property: £1.6m 4 bedroom detached home
- Average house price in Preston: £146,791
- Cheapest property: 1 bedroom flat - £20,000
Property Investment 🏠 🏠
- Three years ago, the city received £393m foreign investment, beating every other city in the UK besides London
- The University of Central Lancashire announced a £200 million development of their campus over ten years to attract more students and draw together the university and the city
- The area is undergoing huge regeneration with a recently agreed City Deal awarding £434m for new investment to help expand and improve the area’s transport infrastructure.
Economy ££
- Regeneration will create 20,000 new jobs and 17,420 homes will be built - a huge boost to a local economy expected to grow by £1bn over the next 10 years
- Preston’s £25.5bn economy supports nearly 650,000 jobs
- Preston is the engine room of Lancashire’s economy and one of the largest local economies in the north of the UK. The region is important to the country’s agricultural, nuclear and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Location and Transport 🚌
- As part of a regeneration project, £340m will be invested in a new transport infrastructure, with plans to radically improve access by road to Preston and South Ribble from other parts of Lancashire and the UK
- There are three nearby airports - Blackpool International Airport, Liverpool John Lennon, and Manchester Airport.
Education 🎓
- Preston is home to the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) - one of Britain’s largest universities and voted as one of the UK’s top three modern universities
- There are 36 schools in Preston including several Catholic schools and a Muslim school
Environment 🌷
- Avenham & Miller Parks and Winckley Square are green spaces in the city centre
- There are 160 miles’ of footpaths and bridleways and six city museums
- The docks and marina have been revitalised in recent years offering boating to waterfront living, shopping, eateries, pubs and cinema.
Trivia 🎬
Finally, did you know …
- Although not the first motorway under construction, the M6 at Preston was the first ever stretch of motorway in the UK? It opened in 1958
- American founding father Benjamin Franklin lived at a house on the site of Café Nero on Frigate, in 1771?
- That John Inman (famous for saying “I’m free!” in the BBC sitcom Are You Being Served) was born in Preston in 1935?