The LEP reports that the sale of Miller Arcade has fallen through. The building is looking in good condition and quite welcoming although it doesn’t have many shops in it and seems a bit isolated. It’s on the corner of the shopping area with nothing beyond it to create passing trade. Although it could be said that the new bus station, if it’s ever built, will rejuvenate that area. But perhaps not as both routes into the current bus station aren’t what you aspire to with a building like the Miller Arcade.
Miller Arcade is beautiful building fully worthy of its Grade II listing. When inside with the doors it’s quite welcoming and sheltered although perhaps the doors deter entrance and make it less obvious what is inside. With an uncertain future it can’t be guaranteed that it will be properly maintained and many buildings in such a situation get lost to fires. It is said the council are hoping the Heritage Lottery Fund will provide some cash although what would be done with it isn’t said, as the building looks alright on the surface. The problem appears to be location.
Recently Blackpool Council made a bid to buy it’s two iconic buildings, the Winter Gardens and the Tower, with the help of a European Re-generation Grant. That the Conservative Blackpool council is taking buildings into public ownership while the Labour Preston Council is seeking private solutions appears to be the wrong way round. Buildings like Miller Arcade are more than commodities to be bought and sold. St Georges was sold and personally I wouldn’t worry if it disappeared. But Miller Arcade is irreplaceable. The council should be involved at least in the investment to ensure it is maintained as one of Prestons icons and that the main shopping area is driven more in its direction.