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Nick Park CBE, Academy Award® winning creator of Wallace & Gromit, opens £45m+ Animate entertainment and leisure destination in Preston 

Posted on by Claire Stephenson

Nick Park CBE, four-time Academy Award®-winner and Preston-born creator of Wallace & Gromit, officially opened the city’s £45m+ Animate entertainment and leisure destination in February 2025. 

The Honorary Freeman of Preston and multi-award-winning filmmaker, unveiled a four-foot-high bronze statue of Feathers McGraw, the villainous penguin character in the Wallace & Gromit animated films, to mark the opening. 

Joining Nick at the unveiling were the Mayor of Preston, Councillor Philip Crowe, Chris Butler and Chris Jones, owners and directors of Castle Fine Arts Foundry, which created the statue, and Merlin Crossingham, Bafta@ award-winning creative co-director of Wallace & Gromit at Aardman Animations. 

Nick and Merlin are executive directors and creative directors, respectively, at Bristol-based independent studio Aardman, makers of the Wallace & Gromit films and other beloved brands, including Shaun the Sheep, Creature Comforts, Chicken Run, and Morph. 

Nick Park CBE said: “As a proud Prestonian, I couldn’t be more egg-cited to see our infamous Feathers McGraw joining Wallace and Gromit in my hometown. 

“I’m not sure how happy Wallace and Gromit will be, though, to have their arch nemesis clutching the limelight.” 

Councillor Matthew Brown, leader of Preston City Council, said: “To have Nick Park officially open our flagship regeneration scheme, Animate, is a genuine honour and landmark moment for the Council and the city. In addition, the new Feathers McGraw statue is a fantastic complement to the Wallace and Gromit bench, which has drawn so many visitors to Preston – its popularity has blown us away.  

“It heralds a new era for Preston, providing an unrivalled multi-tenanted entertainment and leisure complex for residents and visitors from the wider region in the ownership of our city.” 

Chris Jones, director at Castle Fine Arts Foundry, added: “It was such an honour for us all at the Foundry to be given the opportunity to depict the deliciously malign Feathers McGraw in bronze, having enjoyed creating Wallace & Gromit a couple of years ago.  

“We had felt Feathers’ ‘wee beady eyes’ upon us in the workshop for a good few months since we completed him, so it was both a relief and a joy to put him where he truly belongs, alongside his arch-nemeses in Preston.” 

Animate features The Arc Cinema with eight screens, 16-lane Hollywood Bowl bowling alley with gaming zone, public realm, a socialising unit and 164-space basement car park, alongside leading family restaurant brands Ask Italian, Cosmo, Taco Bell, Argento Lounge and a variety of street food outlets and a cocktail bar in Mad Giant Food Hall, Northern Lights Group. 

The scheme was delivered by Maple Grove Developments (MGD), part of the Preston-based contractor, Eric Wright Group, on behalf of Preston City Council. Commercial property agents Sanderson Weatherall are the estate managers. 

Built on the former indoor market and car park site, Animate is fully owned by Preston City Council and is one of six major projects in Preston’s Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme, a £200m programme including £20.9m of funding by the UK Government to support several regeneration projects.  

The leisure scheme supports the Council’s commitment to Community Wealth Building – a fair, inclusive and ethical approach to fostering sustainable economic development and prosperity for all in Preston – via measures including using locally based businesses and the creation of approximately 300 full and part-time jobs when fully open and 105 apprenticeship weeks worked throughout the construction period to date. 

The communications experts at Limitless Public Relations – Michael Gregory, Claire Stephenson, and Justin Strong (along with Jen Peacock on launch day) have provided strategic communications and public relations support to Preston City Council throughout the successful delivery of this landmark project over the past two years.

Topping out ceremony at Preston’s £45m+ Animate leisure complex 

Posted on by Claire Stephenson

A topping-out ceremony has been held to mark the highest point of the build at Preston’s Animate leisure complex, the latest milestone in the £45 million+ scheme, one of six major projects planned under Preston’s Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme. 

Preston was awarded £20.9m from the Government’s national Towns Fund initiative in March 2021, and the Harris Quarter is a unique part of the city centre undergoing a £200m investment programme to transform its historic buildings, sites and public realm into a diverse culture, leisure and employment offering.

Animate is being brought forward by Maple Grove Developments, part of Preston-based contractor Eric Wright Group, in partnership with Preston City Council.

The leisure complex is being built on the site of the former indoor market and car park and is due to open to the public in early 2025.

Almost fully pre-let, Animate will feature an eight-screen cinema, a 16-lane bowling alley with a gaming zone, five family restaurant units, a food hall, a public realm, a competitive socialising unit and a 164-space basement car park, with national leisure brands including Hollywood Bowl, ARC Cinemas, Zizzi, Cosmo, Las Iguanas and Loungers already signed up as tenants.

Those attending the topping out included Cllr Matthew Brown, leader of Preston City Council, Adrian Phillips, chief executive of the City Council, John Chesworth, chair of Preston Towns Fund Strategic Board and Karen Hirst, managing director of Maple Grove Developments.

Councillor Matthew Brown, leader of Preston City Council, added:

“Animate is the flagship project of the Harris Quarter regeneration programme, heralding a new era for Preston and its residents. Owned by the city council to benefit local people, the construction of Animate has involved local contractors and enhanced the skills and learning of young people with essential on-the-job experience.

“Crucially, such development and regeneration forms a key part of the council’s commitment to Community Wealth Building, designed to create a resilient and inclusive economy to benefit the whole area by offering an opportunity for local people to take back control while working with local institutions.”

John Chesworth, Chair of Preston Towns Fund Strategic Board, said:  

“The topping out represents another key moment in the delivery of Animate and in the ongoing renaissance of Preston as we progress our wider plans to create places for people.  

“Having secured high-profile and established national leisure brands, Animate will provide an unrivalled offering of activities to drive footfall and wider economic benefits for Preston and surrounding areas.”

Karen Hirst, managing director of Maple Grove Developments, development partner of Preston City Council, concluded:

“This milestone in the delivery of Animate marks the highest point of the build and the successful culmination of the collaborative efforts of the client, design, and construction teams.

“Animate is an exemplar of what can be achieved when the public and private sectors work together in partnership to great effect for the wider community and economy of Preston.”

Preston’s Animate scheme progressing

Posted on by Claire Stephenson

As part of Limitless PR’s strategic communications work with Preston City Council and the Towns Fund, Limitless’s Claire Stephenson got the treat of being shown around onsite the ongoing £45m Animate development scheme in Preston. The development is being carried out by Eric Wright Group’s Maple Grove Development and is owned by Preston City Council. 

The complex will open in early 2025, and will be a brand-new leisure and entertainment complex at the heart of Preston’s city centre. 

Animate is almost fully let with national brands such as Hollywood Bowl, ARC Cinemas, Zizzi, Cosmo, Las Iguanas and Loungers who are already signed up as tenants. The complex will include:

  • 16-lane bowling alley
  • 8-screen cinema
  • 164-space car park
  • Bars & restaurants
  • Public terrace

…with more to be announced, it’s already looking great!  

Claire said:

“It was so good to be on the other side of the development, looking down over Preston rather than upwards from outside the barriers! The space in the new build feels vast inside and it was exciting to see the cinema spaces being developed. 

“I was shown around and spoke with two of Eric Wright’s construction and surveying staff and I learned so much about their work and days on the project.” 

Read more on the scheme at Invest Preston.

Planning application approved for £7.4 million refurbishment of former magistrates court into offices and retail space 

Posted on by Claire Stephenson

Preston City Council’s plans to transform the Grade II Listed former magistrates court have been approved. 

Amounderness House will undergo a £7.4 million refurbishment and is one of six major projects planned under Preston’s Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme, for which the City was awarded £20.9m from the Government’s national Towns Fund initiative in March 2021.

Harris Quarter is a unique area of Preston undergoing a £200m investment programme to transform its historic buildings, sites and public realm into a diverse culture, leisure and employment offering, with Amounderness House located beside the £45m Animate cinema and leisure complex, which is under construction and due to open in Spring 2025. 

The refurbishment of Amounderness House, originally built in 1857 as a police station with several holding cells, will be transformed into a high-quality modern, flexible, multi-use workspace hub that Wrkspace will operate. 

Designed by FWP Architects, the sympathetic refurbishment of the Grade II listed building will create 26 offices circa 645 sq. ft and four craft or retail studios. In addition, the existing courtyard will be updated and open for public use.

Maple Grove Developments is working with Preston City Council and Wrkspace as Project/Development Manager to deliver the project.

Chair of Preston’s Towns Fund Strategic Board, John Chesworth, said:  

“It’s fantastic to see this magnificent building being brought back into use as it will help stimulate business, cultural, and community uses in Preston city centre. We are making significant progress in regenerating the Harris Quarter and seeing a ripple effect of interest in what Preston is achieving as an attractive place to live, work and play.”

Leader of Preston City Council, Cllr Matthew Brown, added: “On the back of this excellent news we can transform Amounderness House and capitalise on this asset being in public ownership and using it to support growing local businesses. Furthermore, in line with our Community Wealth Building principles we’re working with Preston-based Wrkspace to run this important heritage asset as it helps to boost our economy.”

Nik Puttnam, senior development manager with Maple Grove Developments, added: “Bringing new purpose to older buildings like Amounderness House is rewarding and we’re looking forward to making a start on the transformation of this superb historic building. Renovating listed buildings comes with its challenges, especially one that has been vacant for so long, but when complete it will complement other projects in the Harris Quarter and be an economic driver for the city centre .”

Rizwan Seth, managing director of Wrkspace, concluded: “The Wrkspace team are looking forward to welcoming Amounderness House into our flexible office space portfolio. The addition of a high quality city centre provision, compliments the existing business centre offering across the North West. Amounderness House will be a beacon for growth for new and existing businesses within Preston, encouraging flexible workspace provisions as the ever-changing working requirements evolve”.

Smith & Love Planning Consultants submitted the application on behalf of Preston City Council and the wider project team for Amounderness House, including Cowburn-Watson Box, SCP Transport, Eden Heritage, E3P, TRP Consulting, and Graham Schofield Associates.