Govt signs off £16.6m Carlisle Town Deal

Six regeneration projects in the city will benefit from the funding after business cases were rubber-stamped by Whitehall.

Carlisle’s Town Deal Investment Plan was given first stage sign-off in March 2021, with £19.7m being allocated across seven projects in June that year.

Following that stage, detailed business cases had to be submitted, six of which have now been given full approval. The Carlisle Market Hall business plan will be submitted to government later this year.

The Town Deal projects are:

• Start with the Park, St Cuthbert’s Garden Village: Providing a new central park including food growing opportunities, habitat creation and new and improved walking and cycling routes connecting the key Durdar settlement of the Garden Village with Carlisle city centre.
• Southern Gateway: An integrated programme of investments in active and sustainable travel and public realm to better connect key developments in the Southern Gateway area of Carlisle, including the railway station, Citadels, Devonshire Street and the former Central Plaza site, and to connect St Cuthbert’s Garden Village with the city centre.
• Project Tullie: Welcome area and entrance to Tullie House Museum. Part of a wider programme of investment at Tullie House Museum, this project will better connect the museum to the surrounding streetscape, increasing its visibility by providing a clear and contemporary point of arrival for visitors.
• Lighting Up Carlisle: Investment of capital funding in digital lighting equipment to support an expanded and transformed events programme.
• Digital and Community Learning Hub: Refurbishment of the central Carlisle Library to create an accessible digital skills and community learning hub, and installation of digital equipment and training materials in 13 community venues.

• The Carlisle Business Exchange Centre: Around 8,600 sq ft of hyper fast digitally enabled business interaction and accommodation space, linked to the University of Cumbria’s flagship campus development.

• Carlisle Market Hall:Investment to improve the infrastructure and internal structure in the hall to improve the experience for shoppers and visitors and exploring options to create a food court and events space.

Cllr John Mallinson, leader of Carlisle City Council, said:

“The Government’s endorsement of the Town Deal projects will release more than £16m of investment in the city, supporting the economy and delivering transformational schemes. The Town Investment Plan is a blueprint for the next ten years and will drive forward Carlisle in the future.”

Emma Porter, managing director of Story Contracting and chair of Carlisle’s Town Deal Board, added: “I’d like to thank all the partners that make up the Town Deal Board for their continued support. All their hard work has resulted in a multi-million-pound investment in the city. Each one of the projects will create investment and will create a lasting legacy for the city.”