Lancashire Growth Deal 2014

The Lancashire Growth Deal is a 6-year package of new investment worth over £370m, agreed between Government and the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP), which will realise the growth potential of the whole of Lancashire. It is made up of £234m from the Competitive Local Growth Fund and £140m from public sector partners and the private sector.

The Lancashire Growth Deal aims to create between 3,500 and 5,000 new jobs and safeguard almost 3,000 jobs, as well as the delivery of between 3,200 and 5,500 new homes and between 120,000m2 and 200,000m2 of new commercial floorspace.

Government and the LEP have agreed to co-invest in 13 jointly agreed priorities:

• Blackburn to Bolton Rail Corridor: This project will deliver line improvements to support an enhanced train frequency between Darwen, Blackburn, Ribble Valley and Manchester, thus supporting greater commuting journeys into Manchester and improved opportunities for those travelling into Lancashire from Greater Manchester.
• Blackburn Town Centre Improvement: The project comprises a range of small scale interventions linked to the Blackburn Town Centre Transport Strategy and will underpin existing town centre developments, including the Cathedral Quarter and the Freckleton Street Knowledge Zone.
• Boost: Further investment for business support co-ordination through Lancashire's established business growth hub.
• Centenary Way Viaduct Maintenance, Burnley: The project will bring about essential maintenance and repairs to this key bridge structure in Burnley, enabling it to operate to full capacity and support town centre growth.
• Burnley - Pendle Growth Corridor: This project targets junction and other transport improvements to release additional site capacity and enable quicker movement of goods, services and people through this key economic corridor.
• Blackpool Bridges Maintenance: The project will repair 11 defective bridge structures across Blackpool which are either failing or have restrictions placed on them, thus ensuring key corridors to the resort remain open.
• Blackpool Heritage Visitor Attraction: The project will create a new tourist attraction based around Blackpool's resort heritage, proposed for the Winter Gardens.
• Blackpool Integrated Traffic Management: The project will provide an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) that will reduce pedestrian/vehicle conflict on the Promenade by offering alternative routes and improving public transport performance, whilst supporting the illuminations and other event management.
• East Lancashire Cycle Network: This project will enable better cycle access between major residential areas and places of employment.
• Lancashire FE Skills Capital: A programme of investment in Energy and Engineering facilities and estate renewal of poor quality college accommodation.
• Lancaster Health Innovation Park: This project will establish new facilities and a test space for companies carrying out product and service development in collaboration with the university and healthcare bodies.
• M55 to St Annes Link Road: The project will provide a new road connecting the south of Blackpool to the north of St Annes, creating a positive impact upon future employment sites (including Whitehills and Blackpool Airport), new housing growth (Heyhouses) and the visitor economy, including future hosting of the R&A Open Golf Championships.
• Preston City Centre to Bus Station Improvements: The project will enable the extension of the Fishergate public realm improvements from their current point to the bus station, integrating the city's two public transport hubs and supporting future development and modernisation of both the rail and bus stations and a greater number of journeys.
• Preston Western Distributor: This project will link the A583/A584 to the motorway network via a new junction (Junction 2) on the M55, improving access to the Warton site of the Lancashire EZ and enabling the comprehensive development of the North West Preston strategic housing location.
• A6 Broughton Bypass: This project will provide critical congestion relief on the A6 to the north of Preston, also unlocking housing sites and enabling full development of new and future employment sites in Preston East.
• Blackpool Town Centre Green Corridors: This project will create green infrastructure corridors to Blackpool Town Centre, improving gateway and arrival points into the town itself.
• Blackpool to Fleetwood Tramway Extension: This project will extend the existing Blackpool tram network to Blackpool North Railway Station, creating seamless rail provision for visitors to Blackpool and residents of the Fylde Coast.
• Darwen East Distributor Route: This project will provide a new road that will support significant new housing development to the east of Darwen.