Final remediation phase lined up for 800-home Marina Village
The last 20 acres of the strategic Barrow site are ready to be spruced up to make way for hundreds of homes, provided Westmorland and Furness Council approves the project’s latest application.
The council’s strategic planning committee will meet next Wednesday to discuss the next stage of authority-led Marina Village scheme, which has been recommended for approval by planning officers.
Situated on 67 acres of the Barrow waterfront, Marina Village has been earmarked for 800 homes. This is more than a third of the total allocated housing for the borough up to 2031. The scheme has received £24.8m in grants from Homes England courtesy of a deal in January of last year. This deal led to the increased housing allocation from 650 to the current 800 figure.
The application on the upcoming committee agenda would enable the clearing of the former Furness Railway Workings Train Depot and Vulcan Street Forge Works.
In addition to demolishing the current structures on the site, the proposal would allow for remediating contaminated areas, relocating protected species, and realigning Cavendish Dock Road. In realigning the road a combined footway and cycleway would be created on both sides, providing active travel links from the site to the Bay Cycle Way.
Marina Village has been labelled as an opportunity site for more than 20 years by the authority and its predecessor, Barrow-in-Furness Council. However, it is only in the past few years that it has gathered steam.
Work on the remediation of the first 15 acres finished in November 2023. Redstart Northwest began the second phase of enabling works in April.
That same month saw the approval of a supplementary planning document for the site.
“Unlocking this former industrial land and seeing it transformed into a thriving residential community in the centre of Barrow is one of the council’s biggest schemes and tremendously important for the town, Westmorland and Furness, and beyond,” said Cllr Virgina Taylor, cabinet member for housing and community safety, at the time.
When remediation completes, the council will look to appoint a master developer for the site.
