Full steam ahead for Carlisle Station’s £27m revamp
Cumberland Council has approved the redevelopment of Court Square, part of the Carlisle Station Gateway project, which it hopes will establish an attractive entry point to the city befitting of its historical context.
Plans put forward by planner and architect BDP will see Court Square, located just outside the grade two-listed Carlisle Citadel station, pedestrianised to create a more welcoming environment for visitors.
The officer report states “the vast majority of vehicles would be removed from the southern portion of Court Square, creating an attractive high-quality space prioritised for pedestrians and cyclists.”
It adds: “Vehicle access into Court Square would be strictly controlled by a mix of seating and bollards and would be restricted to emergency service and maintenance activities only.”
The Lawson’s drinking fountain will be returned to its original location at Court Square after it was moved to make way for public toilets in 1936.
Main contractor Story Contracting will now be able to start construction on the £27m scheme in autumn, with completion expected by 2026 or 2027.
Planned enhancements form part of a wider public realm regeneration plan backed by £20m in funding from the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, financed in partnership with the government, Avanti West Coast, Network Rail, and Cumberland Council.
- BOOK NOW: Cumbria Development Update 2025
The Southern Gateway scheme was also approved, a plan that includes the redevelopment of Station Road Business Park and the creation of a railhead that would run the full length of the application site connecting to the West Coast Mainline via the former railway sidings to the south east.
Two parcels of land at the business park will be redeveloped. The northern parcel will accommodate an open storage area covering up to 108,000 sq ft, while the southern parcel will host three warehouse units with office space totalling 110,000 sq ft.
Cllr Mark Fryer, Leader of Cumberland Council, hailed the “excellent news for Carlisle”.
He said: “The project, as part of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, will support regeneration in Carlisle and across the wider region.
“These improvements will make Carlisle Station more accessible, encourage more visitors to the city, and support local businesses.”
He added: “Moving the Lawson’s Monument back to its original location will restore an important part of our local history.”
Making Court Square more pedestrian-oriented is a key part of Cumberland Council’s £27m Carlisle Station Gateway plans. Credit: via Cumberland Council
Further plans under development in collaboration with Network Rail and Avanti for improved station parking to the south will be considered by the council in spring.
The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal was signed in March 2021 and represents a £350m investment in the borderland regions in the north.
To view the application, use the planning reference number 24/0650 on Cumberland Council’s planning portal.
The city may be under the radar, but Carlisle is doing so much right lately, including this. Many bigger cities have much to learn from the Cumberland capital.
By Rye
No mention that it was our ex MP John Stevenson who worked very hard to get thus project going. Labour should not take the credit for it.
By George Bain
@February 21, 2025 at 4:59 pm
By George Bain
Good to point this out.
The habit of taking credit for other people’s hard work is unattractive.
By Rye
George Bain, this isn’t a political page, perhaps that’s why they’ve not gone ‘out of their way’ to provide the information that you talk about, most readers don’t care about that.
By Cristoforo