Cumberland Sports Village nets £4.5m boost
Cumbria Combined Authority has made one of its first financial commitments in supporting the Workington project, which will now grow Borough Park stadium’s capacity to 5,000.
That capacity figure had long been the goal for the Cumberland Sports Village project, but due to financial concerns had been pushed back as “future work”, with the immediate focus bolstering the capacity to 3,700.
With the £4.5m secured from the combined authority, however, the 5,000-capacity goal can progress at pace.
Accordingly, all of the terraces around the stadium will be replaced, as well as the four stands.
The Cumberland Sports Village initiative is part of the wider £23m Workington Town Deal programme. It will also see the transformation of the existing turf pitch into a 3G one that is suitable for both the Workington Town RLFC and Workington AFC to play on.
FWP is the architect behind the designs, which will also create wheelchair-accessible areas in the stadium, a function suite, and executive boxes. The project team includes Savills, Curtins, Wardell Armstrong, Baker Mallet, and PSA.
Cumberland Council Leader Cllr Mark Fryer welcomed the funding news.
“The Cumberland Sports Village forms a key element in the plans for the regeneration of Workington,” he said.
“The project will provide a transformed community sports and leisure offer within the Lower Derwent Valley close to Workington town centre and the existing Workington Leisure Centre, cricket, and bowling clubs.
“As well as sport, the stadium will also act as a focal point for both the community and businesses within the area. An improved hospitality offer means the stadium will also be used for meetings, conferences, functions, events and community activities.”
The combined authority’s interim chief executive, John Barradell, added: “One of our first actions as a combined authority – even before we’d held our first meeting – was to secure an additional £10m in funding for Cumbria from Government.
“We are delighted that £4.5m of that money has been allocated to Cumberland Sports Village, to help further enhance the plans and create the stadium that fans and residents have been asking for.”
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