Preston has been without a large-scale entertainment venue since 2019.
There’s reasons for this, and while much time can be spent debating the whys and where fors, the reality is we’re 12 months away from any kind of decision being made and then many years away from any kind of venue being a reality. That will soon mean a decade without a large cultural venue in the shape of the Guild Hall and potentially the 2032 Guild taking place without a significant civic venue too.
We’re urging the Secretary of State for Culture, Lisa Nandy, and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to give their support and backing for Preston having a major venue again – whether that’s repair or rebuild. Whatever option, it will take multi millions of pounds and will need substantial support from government. Let’s show them the appetite there is in the city and surrounding area for a major cultural venue in Preston.
Sign our petition today and send a message from Preston to the desks of power that we want the show to be back on in the city. We’ve seen and heard the frustration from our readers about the current situation, and so we hope this is a way to channel that frustration and hopefully push things forward.
Here’s our full petition text below which is addressed to Lisa Nandy MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Ian Murray MP, Minister of State (Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts) and the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS).
Preston will wait up to another 12 months without a clear timeline for when a major venue is back operating in the city.
Having a place to celebrate, enjoy, dance, sing and be Preston has been taken away since 2019.
We urge the Secretary of State to give the tools, resources and support to Preston City Council – or whatever council it ends up becoming part of in the future – to give the city the cultural hub it needs, wants and deserves.
For our children, for all our communities, for our nightlife, for our city centre businesses, for the hospitality industry, for our creative sector, for our bands, for our comedians, for our panto performers, for our dance groups – heck – even for the election counts and nights in there!
We’re not interested in how we got here with the Guild Hall, we are interested in how we move forward.
This government calls for us to take Pride In Place. Well we, in Preston, are proud – we’re known as ‘Proud Preston’, but without a major venue we don’t have the place to express that pride.
Sign our petition today and send a message to those with the means, resources and power to get Preston partying again to take action. Whether it’s the Guild Hall, or another venue, let’s show Preston wants and needs a major city venue. Sign today and share with your friends, family and anyone else you think needs to know Preston wants to be back on the cultural map.
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