Place North West launches 2020 Media Pack

A £2.5m contract for design services on Carlisle’s £112m southern link road has been won by Capita Property & Infrastructure.

Cumbria County Council and its partners have kicked off the search for a design team for the redevelopment of Carlisle’s railway station and The Citadels, with options including enhanced retail space, improved access, and higher education uses.

Schemes in Cumbria, Wigan, Cheadle, and Liverpool have all been put forward as part of a £700m funding pitch to the Government by Transport for the North.

The first passenger flight from Carlisle Lake District Airport in 25 years has been completed, with a Loganair flight to Dublin having the honour of being the first service.

Cumbria County Council has secured £7.5m of Government funding to take forward improvements to the Cumbrian coastal railway line, supported by an  £835,000 contribution from the Local Enterprise Partnership.

With the UK Government still mired in uncertainty over the country's immediate future, Chancellor Philip Hammond’s announcement was as low-key as predicted, with a Borderlands Growth Deal and a £3bn Affordable Homes guarantee the main highlights.

An early-stage business case has been submitted to the Department for Transport to provide £9m for improvements on Cumbria’s coastal railway line, which will help to support major projects in the region including Nugen’s Moorside nuclear plant.

Transport for the North has urged train operator Northern to present options for restoring rail services on the Lakes Line as soon as possible, calling for resumption of some kind by week five of the interim timetable period "at the very latest".

Stobart Rail & Civils is to move its head office to Carlisle Lake District Airport, the infrastructure business has announced.