Preston: Mechanisms for change and the link between personal wellbeing and economy
Robert Binns at Cotton Court business centre, 2020 © Courtesy of Robert Binns
Working in harmony with the city; centering health and wellbeing in plans to revive Preston’s local economy
Robert Binns is a successful businessman, born and raised in Preston. He grew up within the multicultural West Indian and Asian communities of the city and went on to forge a career in the aerospace industry that makes up a large part of Preston's local economy.
Today, Robert owns a number of businesses including Cotton Court, a renovated cotton mill which he has developed into a contemporary office and meeting space. Robert is passionate about supporting the next generation of graduates, start-ups and entrepreneurs and understands that his own ability to thrive is closely linked to the fortunes of his city.
“I’m quite entrenched in a lot of what goes on” he says. “Not just from a passionate perspective but from an economic perspective as a symbiotic relationship. If the city does well, I do well financially, and also the rest of my family and people I’ve grown up with.”
Preston’s Town Deal Board was formed out of the Preston Partnership, a business-led network of people with a vested interest in Preston city center, supported by the city council. The partnership steers a more positive story for the town in the face of “press and other business things being littered with negativity,” says Robert. The partnership is also a means of sharing information between the city and its business community. An outspoken and active member of the Preston Partnership, Robert was invited to join the Town Deal Board in January 2020.
At the first board meeting, nobody held back. As conversations about the future of Preston unfolded it became clear that everyone was there with a strong sense of purpose.
“The great thing about it is that everyone does really champion what they believe in and where they're coming from” says Robert.
Despite being driven by a range of priorities, from education to infrastructure or enterprise, there were lots of common interests amongst the Board. Discussions about the centrality of health and wellbeing in Preston ignited new ways of thinking about the future of the city.
“People generally separate the two” said Robert. “They look at economics or they'll look at health and wellbeing; they actually don't realise that the two are married together”. This idea united the Board in their thinking about the future of Preston.
Robert acknowledges that in the past there has at times been a disconnect between schemes being proposed and what is viable from the council perspective. Yet, “operating in partnership with the local government, it allows you to get to where you want to get to, without anybody being put out,” because plans are developed in dialogue.
Drawing in expertise, networks and communities
Robert believes the selection of people to make up the Town Deal Board has been a key part of its dynamism. Everyone on the Board has a vested interest in the city and strong-willed enough to share points of view, but not so stubborn as to lose sight of the bigger picture for Preston.
“Where I grew up it was predominantly West Indian and Asian communities,” Robert explains. “I’m looking at making sure that the projects actually touch all of those communities as well, and that those communities aren’t excluded from them.”
With Roberts’ experience in enterprise, and commitment to the local community, he advocates strongly for entrepreneurship so all parts of society benefit from the plans. In particular, he would like to see Preston better able to retain its graduate talent with viable opportunities encouraging them to keep a presence in the city.
While the Town Deal Board has a good representation of different communities including those with disabilities and from faith groups across the city, the members have also been able to draw in their wider networks and connections. So that if the knowledge or experience wasn’t yet in the room, it was within reach.
“I wouldn’t say that the Board had the total skill-set to develop everything,” Robert says. “But what the Board did have is the contacts externally to reach out and bring in whatever skills and information, and then feed back in. I think that’s the beauty of it.”
These feedback channels allowed the Board to test ideas with their communities and loop suggestions back in.
A mechanism for community led change and a Preston that supports everyone’s wellbeing
While Robert is optimistic that the capital investment from the Towns Fund will inspire hope and confidence across Preston, he is looking at the experience of the Town Deal Board as a template to address other issues within the city. “I think that's probably one of the most underestimated elements of this exercise, the legacy of not just the projects, but of the mechanism in forming the projects."
Robert is driven to keep Preston moving toward a future that he hopes will see better health and wellbeing among all of the city's residents, who are in turn able to take an active role in the local economy.
The signs of success? They will be visible in the communities he grew up in.
“If you understand a place and understand people you don’t need to look at a chart” he says. “You can just look at how people are acting: are people exercising, are they smoking less, are they drinking less. You can tell when you see that people from more deprived, challenging areas are stepping forward and moving forward. Now that’s an easy sign to say that other things are working.”
He is also adamant that just because a person isn’t born with opportunity, it shouldn’t mean they don’t seek opportunity. Robert is committed to helping his city and his community reach their potential, together.
This story was written from a conversation with Robert Binns, Entrepreneur; Group CEO, Cotton Court Business Centre; and Preston Town Deal Board member.
Preston is one of 101 places invited by the Government to develop Town Deal proposals to deliver long-term economic recovery, clean growth, jobs and prosperity as part of the £3.6 billion Towns Fund. Preston submitted a successful Town Investment Plan and secured a Town Deal of up to £19.9 million in March 2021. Preston is currently developing business cases to take forward their Town Deal proposals.