Speedy
LE

I've spoken to a whole raft of 'incomers' here in Preston over the years. The vast majority are from London and the SE. Many has sold their modest house/flat and got something much nicer up here.
I have asked them what they like about it around here and the thing they almost always say first is 'everyone is so much friendlier', followed by less stress and it being much less polluted and clean. That and being close to the beach, lakes and Pennines. Want to go to a big gig? Manchester/Liverpool are a mere 45 mins down the road.
It's becoming a bit of a trend.
Back to the subject of how to 'fix' the north, it still escapes me as to where to start. I visit London on business several times a year (stand fast 2020) and am always shocked at the levels of investment that goes on, and to have something even at a fraction of that locally would be amazing, but I'm damned if I know where they would start.
We simply don't have the things that the SE takes for granted (often initially tax payer funded) that in turn attracts further investment (TfL and Crossrail for example) and the lack of invetsment has become the normal here. We don't miss it, becuase we never had it, but that's not the same as not needing it.
I mean how to you improve a grim East Lancs town that has not seen any investment for 40+ years? How do you attract business to a place like that? Where do you begin? Better transport links? Improved town centres? Investment in better housing?
It's a really complicated issue and I really wouldn't know what should be done first.
I have asked them what they like about it around here and the thing they almost always say first is 'everyone is so much friendlier', followed by less stress and it being much less polluted and clean. That and being close to the beach, lakes and Pennines. Want to go to a big gig? Manchester/Liverpool are a mere 45 mins down the road.
It's becoming a bit of a trend.
Back to the subject of how to 'fix' the north, it still escapes me as to where to start. I visit London on business several times a year (stand fast 2020) and am always shocked at the levels of investment that goes on, and to have something even at a fraction of that locally would be amazing, but I'm damned if I know where they would start.
We simply don't have the things that the SE takes for granted (often initially tax payer funded) that in turn attracts further investment (TfL and Crossrail for example) and the lack of invetsment has become the normal here. We don't miss it, becuase we never had it, but that's not the same as not needing it.
I mean how to you improve a grim East Lancs town that has not seen any investment for 40+ years? How do you attract business to a place like that? Where do you begin? Better transport links? Improved town centres? Investment in better housing?
It's a really complicated issue and I really wouldn't know what should be done first.
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