Jolley, V.S., 2014.

Lan Plan: Central Lancashire New Town (1965-86)

From 1965 Lancashire, in the North West of England, became the focus of a major
renewal scheme: the creation of a new 'super-city'. The last and largest New Town
designated under the 1965 Act, the proposed city, called Central Lancashire New Town
(CLNT), differed from other New Towns. Although influenced by the ideals and example
of Garden City model, its master plan was based on the region's existing urban polycentricity
that had evolved during the Industrial Revolution. By unifying and
supplementing existing townships it aimed to generate prosperity on a sub-regional scale
using the New Towns Act, rather than creating a single new urban development.
Although only part-realised the scheme became a focus for Lancashire's industrial and
urban revival, rejuvenating many existing communities and providing multiple municipal
modern city-scale civic buildings in Lancashire's towns.
The paper will outline the origins, intentions and achievements of CLNT including
examples of its modern and often brutalist architectural legacy. As urban design
precedent, it is pertinent to the Town and Country Planning Association's current
national campaign to continue the work of the Garden City movement as well as regional
debates concerning Lancashire's future urban redevelopment, particularly Preston (the
proposed sub-regional centre of CLNT), which was granted City status in 2002.